Serena Williams teases return to competitive tennis, says Tom Brady ‘started a really cool trend’
Serena Williams, who returned to tennis in 2016 and is a two-time Olympic champion, said she expects a return to competition in 2020. She did not rule out a late-career return to tennis.
Serena Williams and Mardy Fish are pictured in November, 2016. Photo: Getty Images.
Serena Williams has returned to the court for the first time in almost two years after announcing that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Williams, who is a two-time Olympic champion, said she is “feeling great, looking forward to the competition” and would return to play the following year.
The 34-year-old had announced in February that she was undergoing a medical evaluation that would determine if she needed a cancer check-up and decide on the best course of treatment.
She said: “I have had my breast removed. It was an invasive procedure done in December and I went through quite a process to deal with the aftermath. For me, this is not about me and my journey or my story or the process. This is about the mission and to help other people.
“My goal is to bring awareness to the issue of cancer and to be an ambassador for the fight against this disease. I have always been a strong advocate for the fight against women’s health issues. Right now, I’m feeling great, looking forward to the competition and I certainly never want to be a distraction to this.”
Williams, who won her first Grand Slam event at the French Open in 2017, was also set to make her season debut in the season-opening Australian Open.
Following treatment, she is now looking forward to making a decision on a potential comeback to competition.
“I have always said that we would be making the decision in March on my return, and it has been a long, hard road for me to get where I am today,” Williams said.
“My cancer doesn’t define me, it doesn’t define how I am living my life. I have a family and a life, and I want to continue on. I want to be here, to continue my work in the sport.
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