Serena Williams comeback could be major 2028 Los Angeles Olympics hint

Tennis legend Serena Williams is making her grand return – and her eyes might already be fixed on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Nearly four years after her emotional exit at the US Open, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has confirmed she will be playing in the doubles draw at the Queen’s Club championships.

Getty

The 44-year-old icon has been eligible to return to the sport since February after completing six months back in the drug testing pool.

Tennis journalists have immediately speculated that these might be her first calculated steps towards an anticipated hometown dream at the Olympic Games in LA.

The American confirmed her return in a Nike promotional video, using the tagline: ‘Guess everybody heard the news.’

In a separate official statement, she announced: “Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter.

“Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”

Fans believed Williams’ tennis career was completely over; however, as she walked off the court in New York, she never officially said the word ‘retirement’.

Poorly kept secret

Top tennis journalist, Marcus Buckland, spoke on talkSPORT’s White & Jordan show, and said: “It’s been a pretty poorly kept secret for some time now.

“She last played at the US Open in 2022, and she said then ‘she is evolving away from tennis’, she never once said the word ‘retiring’.

“And over the past few months there’s been reports that she’s getting fit again and she’s been hitting with various players.

“She’s 44-years-old, so from a personal point of view, I’m not quite sure why she’s doing it. There’s perhaps a long-term plan to play in the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

AFP

“She will be 46-years old and could be partnering with her sister, Venus Williams. Obviously from a tennis perspective, it’s good news, it will create a lot of headlines.

“She’s playing alongside a very talented youngster, Victoria Mboko, who is already No.9 in the world.

“She’s already a star for the future, so one thing for certain is that Queen’s is going to be absolute bedlam when Serena goes out on the court in competitive mode.”

Risk to the legacy

Despite the romanticism of a potential home Olympic Games appearance, tennis purists worry that the sporting icon will struggle to compete with the younger and faster competition after her four-year break.

Buckland expressed his concerns: “The problem for me is that Serena Williams is the greatest female tennis player I have ever seen, and what I don’t want to see is her go out and look like a 44-year-old who hasn’t played in 4 years.

Getty

“If she does start going out and beating people, I don’t know what that will say about the women’s tour either.

“But it’s an interesting one, a lot of people are talking about it so from a sporting perspective, so it must be good.”