Patrick Mouratoglou highlights what might prevent Serena Williams from returning to tennis

It’s starting to look less likely that Serena Williams will make a return to the WTA Tour, despite earlier hints suggesting she might.

Williams hasn’t played professionally since her third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open.

Even though there were signs pointing towards a comeback – like re-entering the drug testing pool and sharing videos of her training – nothing has been confirmed yet.

Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached Williams for a decade, has voiced his doubts about whether she’s really planning a return.

Patrick Mouratoglou says Serena Williams ‘will not come back to be number 20’

Mouratoglou had previously said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Williams return, but has since softened that stance while speaking to Spazio Tennis.

He shared that he still keeps in touch with Williams and admitted he’s not even sure she knows what her plans are yet.

He also pointed out that Serena wouldn’t return unless she felt capable of playing at the highest level. That’s likely what she’s weighing up now.

“Serena, we are still in touch of course we are. Is she going to come back? I don’t know, I don’t think she has taken the decision yet,” said Mouratoglou. “I think she was happy to be super fit, happy to be able to practice and then it’s a decision she will take or not.”

“I cannot say, because I don’t know. I don’t even know if she knows. I think she’s still wondering how she progresses, because Serena will not come back to be number 20.

“If she comes back it will be to perform, so she will have to judge if she can perform or not at the highest level and I guess this is how she’s going to take this decision.”

Serena Williams’ time with Patrick Mouratoglou: Grand Slam titles and success

Mouratoglou started working with Williams after she suffered a shock first-round exit at the 2012 French Open, and they enjoyed a lot of success together.

Of Williams’ 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 10 came while Mouratoglou was her coach. Their partnership helped solidify her status as one of the greatest players in tennis history.

The last of those Grand Slam victories came in 2017 when Serena beat her older sister Venus to win the Australian Open title.

As speculation grows about when she might return, Jessica Pegula has predicted that Serena could make her comeback at Wimbledon. If that happens, it would mark nearly two years since her last competitive match.

If she does return to Wimbledon, she’ll be hoping for a better outcome than the last time she played there when Harmony Tan defeated her in the first round back in 2021.

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