Patrick Mouratoglou recently shared five things he would like to see from tennis in 2026, and one of them included Serena Williams. The 23-time Grand Slam champion hired Mouratoglou as her coach in June 2012 after she lost in the early rounds of the French Open. Their relationship spanned a decade, during which Williams won 10 Grand Slams.
In her latest Instagram post, Mouratoglou wants his former client to return to tennis, just like her sister, Venus Williams, did in the latter half of 2025. Mouratoglou has watched videos of Williams practicing tennis and still having that zip to succeed in the WTA.
“I would love to see, in 2026, a comeback from Serena,” Mouratoglou said. “Why not? We’ve all seen the footage of Serena. She’s ready physically. She’s worked hard. She looks so fit, so ready. She loves tennis. Novak said he would love to see her back. She posted a video of herself playing tennis.
“So why not? I would love to see if she can compete at the age she is now without playing a single tournament for three years, after giving birth for the second time. Can she compete with the best? Because she’s Serena. She’s the greatest of all time. What is her level? I would love to see that. And I know I’m not the only one.”
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Has Serena Williams Retired?
Serena Williams has never said officially that she is retiring from tennis. But it’s been three years since her last professional match, which came at the 2022 US Open. The 23-time Grand Slam champion lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanović, 7-5, 6-7(4), 1-6. Since then, she has not turned up for any professional tournaments.
While Williams has never used the word “retirement,” she has rather used the term “evolving away from tennis.”
In late 2025, when Williams registered herself with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) testing pool, it sparked a wave of speculation about her potential return. However, she was quick to shut down the rumors, writing:
“Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.”
During an interview with Vogue in 2022, Williams was asked if she was content with her career, given that she was just one Grand Slam away from tying Margaret Smith’s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want (Court’s) record,” Williams said. “The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus grand slams. I had my chances after coming back from giving birth. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. I didn’t show up the way I should have or could have. But I showed up 23 times, and that’s fine. Actually it’s extraordinary.”
At the moment, it doesn’t appear that she will return to tennis.
