“I’m not done with the racket yet,” Venus Williams stated last year, shutting retirement speculations. True to her word, the 7-time GS winner hasn’t hung up her racket to date. Her last professional match was at the Miami Open last year, where she faced a tough defeat against 19-year-old Russian sensation Diana Shnaider. Since then, she has been out of action, owing to injuries. Recently, Venus returned to the court for a practice session in Miami and soon after that, she shared a nostalgic image from her athletic prime, generating the most noteworthy social media buzz. Could this be a sign of things to come?
At the end of this month, Venus Williams will lose her ranking, and her WTA Tour profile will fade from purple to grey, marking her as an inactive player after a year without competition. The former World No. 1 seems on the verge of retirement, yet whispers of a return refuse to fade. She received a wildcard offer from the Indian Wells this year but didn’t accept it because of prior commitments. The offer was on the table for the second phase of the Sunshine Double as well – that is the Miami Open, but after some deliberation, Venus ultimately declined.
However, Venus was spotted back in action on Wednesday, training alongside one of her former doubles partners Ons Jabeur on Court 13 outside Hard Rock Stadium. Despite the absence of her name in the doubles draw, her participation in practice sessions in her South Florida residence revived conjecture. Adding to the intrigue, the 5-time Wimbledon champion then took a walk down memory lane, teasing the possibility that her journey on the court might not be over.
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A while back, Venus Williams took to Instagram to share a nostalgic throwback picture with her sister and fellow tennis icon, Serena Williams. The image, seemingly from their early playing days at the iconic Wimbledon tournament, captured the duo in their element at the iconic All-England Club. With the playful caption, “Seeing doubles 👯♀️💕,” and a tag to Serena, Venus sparked buzz among fans.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Venus Williams (@venuswilliams)
Last year, Venus competed in only two WTA Tour events: Indian Wells and Miami. Her last GS appearance came at the 2023 US Open, and her most recent victory at any level was against Veronika Kudermetova in Cincinnati just weeks before that. The last time Williams played a full season was back in 2019, a remarkable feat considering she was already 39 and battling the effects of Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune condition known to cause fatigue and joint pain.
However, despite the challenges, history suggests that age alone is no barrier to competing. Martina Navratilova famously won a singles match at Wimbledon at 47. Venus will turn 45 just two weeks before Wimbledon on June 17 this year and if anyone could defy odds, it’s the Williams sisters, that’s for sure. But is it realistically possible?
Venus’ absence from the tour is not merely a matter of her picking and choosing tournaments based on scheduling convenience. Sjogren’s syndrome has been a relentless obstacle in the latter stages of her career, impacting her ability to compete consistently on tour.
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“Professional tennis taken away from me” —Venus Williams opened up after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome
In 2004, with four GS titles already to her name, Venus Williams began experiencing unexplained exhaustion and shortness of breath. In a 2019 interview with Prevention.com, the former World No. 1 reflected on the frustrating ordeal, revealing how the worsening symptoms eventually forced her to step away from professional tennis.
“No matter how hard I worked, I was exhausted, short of breath, and never felt in shape. It was really frustrating. My symptoms got progressively worse, to the point where I couldn’t play professional tennis anymore,” she shared. Seven years elapsed before Venus received a diagnosis of Sjogren’s syndrome, despite persistent medical attention. The American icon later highlighted how common misdiagnoses are with autoimmune diseases,
The delayed identification of the illness resulted in considerable physical deterioration, unexpectedly derailing her career progression. “Unfortunately, that’s typical of people with autoimmune disease. They’re misdiagnosed or too sick to function. I literally had professional tennis taken away from me before I got the right diagnosis,” Venus further added.
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After her recent practice session in Miami, do you expect Venus to return to the court anytime soon? Maybe at Wimbledon?