What Black America Thinks About Serena Williams’ Tennis Return Will Surprise

Serena Williams has announced her return to tennis this week, and the Internet is abuzz with reaction to the news — supportive, apprehensive, and everything in between. 

The HSBC Championships tournament announced on Monday that Williams would be competing in doubles next week, her first time in professional competition since the U.S. Open in September 2022. The tennis legend appeared in an ad with Nike to share the news, and Victoria Mboko, the Canadian 19-year-old ranked at no. 9 worldwide in WTA singles, later shared that she would be Williams’ partner.

Response to Williams’ announcement has been mixed: some fans are excited to see the GOAT return to the court, while others feel that she should remain resolute in her decision. 

Many fans mused that she has grown tired of uneventful life at home, and decided to return to tennis for the thrill. Others are grateful for another chance to see her back on the court, and are optimistic about how well she’ll compete. 

“Oh god she’s back to beat yalls asses and C walk on yalls graves,” one user beamed.

“Should I say it? Serena Williams is going to win Wimbledon at 1277 years old. And she couldn’t give less of a fuck,” another user wrote.

Another user shared excitement about her return, while admitting that she’ll have stiff competition ahead of her.

“Well you look well!  Welcome back to the game of Tennis,” the user wrote, in response to a video of Williams practicing. “Now know. You taught some fine lessons to girls that you will now compete with! That is priceless! Best Wishes!”

The co-hosts of The View spoke about the announcement, with all of them expressing their support.

I think it’s fascinating that people are actually questioning Serena Williams, saying that she’s too old to play. She is an elite athlete, arguably the best athlete, male or female, in decades,” said Sunny Hostin. “I think that athletes know their bodies better than most people, she knows her training. she would not step back on that court if she’s not ready. I can’t wait to buy a ticket to see her play.”

Others say that Williams should have remained off the court. Some believe that Williams should simply allow this new generation of athletes the opportunity to take up the spotlight themselves, and some feel that Williams’ announcement follows a trend of other athletes who prematurely announce their retirement only to return to the sport a short time later.

“Stay retired and sit in the broadcast booth,” one user wrote. “You had your time. Let the kids play.”

“Not singling out Serena Williams specifically here, but it’s kinda tiring seeing many sports legends doing this,” another user shared. It’s making these retirements/farewells meaningless when every other player just comes back again. 

There are also users who are worried less about Williams’ own performance on the court, and more about how the comeback could impact people’s thoughts about GLP-1 drugs. Williams began an ad campaign last year revealing that she uses Zepbound, a drug sold by the telehealth company Ro, which her husband Alexis Ohanian is a board member of.  

“Serena has arrived in Queens, looks in good shape but the fact she’s openly said she’s lost a lot of weight by using GLP1 injections and medications just doesn’t sit well with me,” wrote user Pavvy G. “I can see otherwise healthy people now be tempted to take GLPs, not right.”

And there are others who don’t seem happy or sad about the news, as much as just being confused about the announcement altogether.

“Serena’s comeback is official,” wrote Yahoo Sports reporter Dan Wolken. “I don’t really understand why she’s doing it. I hope she can tell us soon.”

As far as her competition is concerned, they’re happy to see her return to the sport. “I did say one of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her,” said Coco Gauff before the announcement. “I think it would be cool for the sport to have a legend back.” Ukranian tennis player Elina Svitolina agreed. “She’s like Roger (Federer). … Maybe not play for a year or something and then just go and play unbelievable. I think it’s just a different level of GOAT,” she said. “I’m really excited actually for her to come back. I think it’s a great story and very inspiring for all the moms around the world.”

Serena Williams previously that she was stepping away from the sport in August 2022, writing a moving editorial for Vogue where she spoke about the difficulty she felt having to choose her family over the sport. “I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me,” she wrote. “… Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.” Her last match was at the 2022 U.S. Open, where she lost to Ajla Tomljanović in the third round.

While she hasn’t shared much about her decision to return to tennis, she did release a statement this week to explain her decision to compete in the HSBC Championships specifically.

“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said, referring to the London venue where the tournament takes place. “Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”