Venus Williams chose not to address speculation about sister Serena Williams’s possible comeback when asked during her Indian Wells press conference following a first‑round loss.
The 45‑year‑old American, who received wildcards into both the singles and doubles draws at the BNP Paribas Open, was defeated by France’s Diane Parry in three sets on Thursday. Venus has not officially retired from professional tennis and returned to tour competition after a 16‑month break to address health issues.
When reporters asked whether she and Serena might team up in doubles this year, Venus replied that the question should be directed to her younger sister, offering no further details on Serena’s plans.
Speculation about Serena Williams’s return has grown since she re‑entered the sport’s anti‑doping testing pool last year, making her eligible to compete again. Serbian star Novak Djokovic has suggested Serena could target Wimbledon as a stage for her possible comeback, even hinting she might play doubles with Venus.
Serena, who has not competed since the 2022 US Open, has shared tennis practice videos on social media but has not confirmed whether she will officially return to the tour.
Despite her loss at Indian Wells, Venus said she remains thrilled to play in front of fans, especially at her home event where she made her tournament debut in 1996.
The evolving situation continues to draw interest from tennis fans worldwide, as many watch to see if one of the sport’s greatest champions will re‑enter competition.
