"I will let you know": Venus Williams teases tennis return and reveals how she's improved

Serena Williams may have announced her retirement from tennis but her sister Venus doesn’t seem to be done with her hitting career just yet.

Appearances from the former world number one have been few and far between over the 12 last months and many have wondered if she has silently hung up her racquet.

However, rumours have been popping up about the potential return of Williams, and she recently fuelled these talks.

Will Venus Williams return to tennis?

The Williams sisters are two of the all-time greats of tennis and fans may be looking at a lengthy period of time before either will fully commit to the idea of retirement.

Even Serena has stressed her ‘never say never’ attitude towards her beloved sport

For Venus, it seems she has been casually dipping in and out of the sport over the last couple of years, only playing when is good for her.

© Provided by Give Me Sport NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 30: Venus Williams of the United States plays a backhand against Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium in their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

While this is an ideal approach for the seven-time Grand Slam champion, it leaves fans wondering when they will see her on the court again.

“A lot of people have been asking me, ‘are you gonna play again?’ I love tennis and I would like to play again and I will let you know exactly when,” Williams said in a recent video on her YouTube channel.

Video: Venus Williams says she would like to play tennis again

She went on to discuss how she has been training since her disappointing first round loss at the US Open with Serena earlier this year.

“I’ve been honestly hitting the court a lot and let me tell you when I hit the court… right after the doubles match that we played at the US Open. I immediately booked the court the next day and I went to every single practice in New York. I hit indoors and I’ve been hitting ever since and that’s been a lot of fun.

“I’ve actually been working on a lot of things. Mainly my forehand, my serve, and I’ve been working on slicing.

“I slice like once per year in a match. I played a point yesterday and I sliced four times in the point.”

Williams said she has also been working on her volleys which has been “a lot of fun.”

© Provided by Give Me Sport NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 01: Venus Williams of reacts to a point with partner Serena Williams of the United States against Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova of Czech Republic during the Women’s Doubles First Round match on Day Four of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 01, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

When did Venus Williams last win a title?

Williams’ appearances on the court have been sporadic over the last couple of years and she has notched just four singles wins since the start of 2020.

Her last tournament title came at the Taiwan Open in 2016. She has since reached the Australian Open and Wimbledon final but was pipped by sister Serena and Garbiñe Muguruza respectively.

Williams played just four singles matches in 2022 and lost each one of them. The last time she was in action was at the US Open, where she was handed an early exit by world number 55 Alison van Uytvanck.

Williams has not won a singles match since Wimbledon 2021 and her last doubles win was back in 2018 at the French Open.

© Provided by Give Me Sport NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 01: Serena Williams and Venus Williams of The United States look on during a changeover against Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova of Czech Republic during the Women’s Doubles First Round match on Day Four of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 01, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

However, despite her dip over recent years, the 42-year-old is still widely regarded as one of the all-time greats of tennis.

She boasts 49 career titles on the singles stage, with seven coming from Grand Slams. With sister Serena, she won 22 titles, including 14 majors.

The Williams sisters are unbeaten in Grand Slam finals.

Venus recently said she could “maybe” get Serena to come back to professional level to play doubles with her again. However, talks of any potential return from either sister remain completely unconfirmed.

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Quiz: How much do you know about Serena and Venus Williams’ careers?