Several players on the WTA Tour have found it hard to say goodbye to tennis completely, with a number of high-profile comebacks in the sport over the last few years.
A Serena Williams return has been touted, while her sister, Venus, continues to return sporadically at various tournaments.
The likes of Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, and Justine Henin have all returned to tennis after confirming their retirement.
Another star, Svetlana Kuznetsova, who has not played competitivelyshot? since 2021, has left the door open for a sensational tennis return.
Svetlana Kuznetsova opens up on a return to tennis
Kuznetsova was a legend of the sport and claimed two Grand Slams in her career, at the US Open and Roland Garros.
The former World No. 2 officially never retired from tennis, although she has not played since the 2021 season.
The star confirmed the reason for her lack of retirement is that she thinks she could still return to the WTA Tour.
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Speaking to Punto De Break, the star confirmed: “People often ask me the question. I didn’t want to announce my retirement because, honestly, I didn’t know if I’d come back later.
“In fact, to this day, I still don’t know if I will. At the time, I didn’t know if I’d get tired of this other life, but today Venus Williams is still competing at 45. What if I had no injuries?
“What if I felt like giving it another shot? I wasn’t sure, which is why I didn’t say my goodbyes. I preferred to leave the door open in case I wanted to come back later. I have a slim chance of returning, and it’s getting slimmer every year.”
The star’s last appearance was at Wimbledon in 2021, when she lost to qualifier Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove in the first round.
Svetlana Kuznetsova’s incredible accolades in tennis
Kuznetsova proved she was one of the best players of her generation by winning multiple Grand Slam titles, but she also picked up a further 16 singles titles.
That includes the 2006 Miami Open, as well as the Eastbourne International, the China Open, and the Stuttgart Open.
As well as Kuznetsova’s two singles Grand Slam titles, the star also won multiple Grand Slam crowns in doubles.
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The star won the Australian Open doubles titles on two occasions, the latter of which was alongside Vera Zvonareva.
Interestingly, Zvonareva is still competing on the WTA Tour at the age of 41, having just defeated Peyton Stearns at the Qatar Open.
Perhaps Kuznetsova could be inspired by her Grand Slam winning doubles partner and return to action in 2026?
