Serena Williams’ return to professional tennis was always going to attract attention. Almost four years after her previous competitive appearance, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion stepped back onto the tour at the age of 44.
The early signs were encouraging. Williams won her first doubles match at Queen’s Club alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko before accepting wildcards into both the singles and doubles events at Wimbledon.
Her comeback has since been interrupted by a right knee injury. However, even as Williams works towards another appearance on court, part of the public conversation has moved away from her recovery and towards familiar scrutiny of her body.
A promising return interrupted by injury
Williams made her first singles appearance since the 2022 US Open when she faced Australia’s Maya Joint on Centre Court on June 30.
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According to Wimbledon’s official match report, Joint defeated Williams 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 after two hours and 22 minutes. Williams fought back from a set down and saved a match point in the second-set tiebreak before Joint eventually prevailed.
Williams injured her right knee during the match. The problem later forced her to withdraw from the women’s doubles, ending the prospect of a long-awaited reunion with her sister Venus.
“I did everything I could to be ready, but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete,” Williams wrote in her withdrawal announcement, as quoted by The Guardian.
The sisters had not played together at Wimbledon since winning their sixth women’s doubles title at the tournament in 2016.
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Attention shifts from recovery to appearance
Williams recently offered a positive update on her rehabilitation by posting a short video in which she was dancing.
“Looks like my knee is getting better. Finally!” she wrote.
However, according to IBTimes UK’s report on the video, several social-media users focused less on the apparent improvement in her knee and more on her slimmer appearance. Others defended Williams and criticised the continued public examination of her body.
The reaction echoed a debate that followed Williams throughout her first career. Her muscular build was frequently discussed in ways rarely applied to male athletes, often drawing attention away from the strength and athleticism that helped her dominate women’s tennis.
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The latest comments have taken the opposite direction, with some users expressing concern about her weight loss despite having no information about her health beyond what Williams has chosen to disclose.
Williams has previously spoken openly about using GLP-1 medication as part of a medically supervised weight-management programme. She said the decision followed difficulties losing weight after the births of her children and was motivated by her long-term health rather than appearance alone.
“Some of my health stats are even better than when I was playing tennis,” Williams said, as quoted by The Sporting News.
Williams has not suggested that her recent weight loss is connected to any new illness. Speculation based solely on her appearance therefore risks turning a personal health decision into another round of intrusive commentary.
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US Open remains the target
Despite the Wimbledon setback, Williams’ comeback does not appear to be over.
According to Tennis365’s report on her plans, Tennis Canada remains in discussions with her team about a possible wildcard for the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto. Her participation will depend on the progress of her knee rehabilitation.
The Canadian event could provide Williams with valuable hard-court preparation before the US Open. She has won the Canadian Open three times, lifting the title in 2001, 2011 and 2013.
Her coach, Rennae Stubbs, has indicated that Williams intends to continue playing and hopes to compete in New York. However, neither Williams nor the US Open has confirmed whether she will enter singles, women’s doubles or mixed doubles.
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A possible mixed-doubles partnership with Carlos Alcaraz has been discussed publicly, but it remains speculative. As reported by TNT Sports, Williams fuelled the rumours by writing “They not ready” beneath a social-media post showing Alcaraz training during his recovery from a wrist injury.
The comment was enough to excite supporters, but it was not an announcement of a partnership.
According to the US Open’s official mixed-doubles page, the competition will take place from August 24 to August 26 and feature 16 teams. No Williams-Alcaraz pairing has yet been officially listed.
For now, Williams’ immediate priority is recovering sufficiently to compete again. Whether that happens in Toronto, Cincinnati or directly at the US Open remains uncertain.
What is already clear is that her return remains one of the most compelling stories in tennis. The continued fixation on her appearance, however, shows that even after changing the sport, Williams is still being judged by standards that extend far beyond her results.
