Aryna Sabalenka would have nothing against Serena Williams returning to tennis as the current world No. 1 believes it would be "an amazing" thing for the sport.
In early December, the American tennis icon made all the headlines when it was revealed that she re-entered ITIA's anti-doping testing pool. That meant that the former world No. 1 made herself once again available for regular doping tests.
However, at the time, Williams shut down the comeback talk by stating that she was "not coming back." But now, while appearing on TODAY, the 44-year-old offered a response that strongly indicated that she was at least seriously considering coming back to tennis.
"That's not a yes or a no. I don't know, I'm just going to see what happens," the former 23-time Grand Slam champion said.
Serena Williams was asked if she is returning to tennis when she was interviewed on the Today Show:
"That's not a yes or no. I don't know. I'm just gonna see what happens."
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— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 29, 2026
Sabalenka: Williams is a fun one, it would be cool to see her play again
After reaching the Australian Open final, Sabalenka was asked how she felt about Williams potentially returning to the Tour.
“That’s amazing. I heard she’s enjoying her life. Whatever makes her happy, I’m happy for her. If she wants to come back, that’s her decision. It’s going to be fun to see her back on tour. She’s got the personality. She’s a fun one. It will be cool," the world No. 1 said.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka's focus will definitely be on only one thing this weekend – how to beat Elena Rybakina, whom she defeated in the 2023 Australian Open final.
If Sabalenka overcomes Rybakina, the 27-year-old Belarusian will lift her third Australian Open titleand overall fifth Grand Slam.
