In recent weeks, tennis has been on a journey down nostalgia lane. On grass courts in London and Berlin, a familiar figure has been showing up for doubles matches. A four-part Netflix documentary about another familiar figure has moved audiences immeasurably across the world. Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal – holders of a permanent place in the uppermost echelons of the sport — have gently found their way back into the spotlight, and tennis fans have relished rekindling the connection.
Serena is now 44 years old and mother of two. Watching her play at her peak was a visceral, electrifying experience. When she left the sport in 2022, Serena impishly described her decision as “evolving away from tennis”, explaining she had never been fond of the word “retirement”. Four years since that wordplay, she has chosen to “evolve back”, for another taste of the world that made her one of modern sport’s most iconic figures. She has played two matches so far, with different partners, winning one and losing another. For Serena though, it is no longer about counting the wins and losses.
