In the post-Serena Williams era of competitive tennis, no American female tennis player has arguably captivated audiences more than Coco Gauff.
With the 44-year-old Williams potentially making a stunning comeback to the sport next month, Gauff would like to be one of the first to welcome her back to the spotlight. Gauff, who’s currently trying to defend her French Open title, got candid about seeing the G.O.A.T. pick up her racket again for what would be her first professional match since 2022. Amid ongoing speculation about her playing future, Williams has been seen training this year and could reportedly return to the court at the Queen’s Club tournament in London with doubles partner Victoria Mboko.
Gauff, no doubt like many others in the tennis world, would love to see that happen.
“That would be really cool. I did say one of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her. Everybody’s been hearing rumors and stuff, and if they are true I guess we’ll find out in a few days. ... I think it would be cool for the sport to have a legend back,” Gauff said Thursday after defeating Mayar Sherif (6-3, 6-2) in the second round of the French Open.
Coco Gauff on Serena Williams possibly coming back to tennis:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 28, 2026
“I did say one of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her. If the rumors are true I guess we’ll find out in a few days. I think it would be cool for the sport to have a legend back”❤️ pic.twitter.com/0cavIM1fCq
At this moment in time, nothing is for certain. However, recent signs are pointing to Williams competing in the WTA 500 event in London, which kicks off on June 8.
What we know about Serena Williams’s potential return to tennis in 2026
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion was listed as eligible to return to competition back in February by the sport’s drug testing organization after rejoining the testing pool. On Wednesday, tennis great Andy Roddick and SI’s Jon Wertheim reported on the Served podcast that Williams will look to secure a doubles wild card at Queen’s Club playing alongside the 19-year-old Mboko.
Williams last played in the 2022 U.S. Open, falling to Australian Ajla Tomljanović (7-5, 6-7, 6-1) in the third round of the women’s singles competition. Since that defeat, which was widely viewed as her unofficial farewell to the sport, Williams has for the most part stayed mum about her retirement plans.
“I don’t know. I’m just gonna see what happens,” Williams said of a potential return to tennis on The Today Show back in January. “ ... Listen, I have two kids, I’m a full-time stay-at-home [mom]. When I filled out a form the other day [for] occupation: Housewife. ... Listen, I can’t discuss this.”
Meanwhile, her sister Venus notably made her return to the court in July 2025 following a 16-month absence from the WTA Tour.
The Queen’s Club tournament can serve as a grass-court warmup for Wimbledon, which takes place three weeks later. If Williams does indeed get a wild card and performs well in London, there’s a chance she could also put in a wild card for the Wimbledon singles draw, a tournament she’s won a record seven times and last played in ‘19, when she lost in the final for the second straight year.
