“I don’t know. I had nothing better to do, I got tired sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?” she said (h/t ESPN’s James Regan). “I never got to play here, it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic.”
Williams is an icon herself. Fans have missed her since she retired following the 2022 season.
“The game just hasn’t been the same without her,” Sarah G., a Williams super fan who declined to offer her last name, told The Athletic’s Caoimhe O’Neil at the site of the tournament.
The game is somewhat lacking in big draws. Talented players, such as Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva, are making a name for themselves, but they lack the quality that attracts fans the way Williams does.
Many thought fellow American Coco Gauff would succeed Williams, but she hasn’t been as dominant. She has won two Grand Slams thus far, neither of which has been this season. Gauff is coming off an underwhelming run at the French Open, in which she lost to Anastasia Potapova in the third round.
So, now seems the perfect time for Williams to make her triumphant return and win one last Grand Slam. Hold your horses.
Yes, Williams looked impressive on Tuesday, but it’s just one match. We’ll see if she can excel again in her next match against Laura Siegemund and Leylah Fernandez on Thursday. Even then, another win may not prove she could do the same over multiple matches at a Grand Slam.
Williams became the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam at the 2017 Australian Open (35 years and 124 days). She’s even older now. Williams turns 45 on Sept. 26. Expecting her to make a deep run at Wimbledon or another tournament against her younger competitors after such a long hiatus would be unrealistic.
While Williams is enjoying playing at the HSBC Championships, will she have the desire to keep training to play at an elite level after the event concludes? She has nothing left to prove at this point in her career, giving her less motivation.
Williams playing one more time would be great for the game and fans, but for now, it remains just a fun hypothetical. At least, she’s giving supporters a comeback show in London. They’ve missed “The Queen of the Court.”