Serena Williams tipped for shock US Open comeback by former coach
During a remarkable career, Williams won 23 women's singles grand slams while adding 14 women's doubles title and two mixed doubles crowns at slams. She spent 319 weeks as world No 1 and racked up 73 WTA Tour singles titles before playing her final match as a 40-year-old at the 2022 US Open – losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round.
Her older sister Venus Williams is still competing, making headlines with her latest comeback last month where the 45-year-old competed at the Washington Open and became the second-oldest player in history, after Martina Navratilova, to win a WTA Tour singles match as she beat then-world No 35 Peyton Stearns 6-3 6-4 in her first match for more than 16 months.
The seven-time grand slam singles champion has since been given a wildcard for women's singles event at the US Open, where she will compete for a record-extending 25th time when the tournament gets underway at Flushing Meadows on 24 August.
And legendary coach Macci is now convinced that the 43-year-old Serena Williams will join her sister by coming out of retirement to compete alongside Venus in the women's doubles in New York.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), the 70-year-old Macci wrote: 'Asked if Serena will play doubles with Vee at the Open. My gut is probably [yes] because at the end of the day Serena can still play even though she has been away.
'Her serve is still one of the best on the planet and when she competes her mindset is like granite.'
Serena Williams is widely seen as the greatest women's tennis player of all time (GOAT) although she does trail the controversial Margaret Court by one in terms of grand slam singles titles – 24 to 23.
She helped transform the sport and was almost unbeatable in a spell from 2014 to 2016 where, in a span of eight grand slams, she won five of them, lost in two finals and was knocked out at the semi-final stage of the other.
And Macci is adamant that no one even comes close to her in any debate about greatness.
In an interview with Tennis 365, he explained: 'Serena's the GOAT and the best player of all time, and I don't think anybody is even in the passenger side when you talk about Serena.'
The Williams sisters won 14 women's grand slam doubles titles together between 1999 and 2016 as they formed an unstoppable partnership. Macci coached them both in their younger years, from 1991 to 1995 at his tennis academy in Florida, and also weighed in on Venus Williams's comeback.
'Both her and Serena, as you saw from the movie King Richard, are both like my daughters,' Macci added. 'Especially Venus, because she was a little older and I spent more time with her.
'Listen, at the end of the day, she just loves to play. I saw the same smile and enthusiasm. She won that match [against Peyton Stearns in Washington], she's bouncing up and down like a human pogo stick. The same exact thing I saw at age 14, it was identical.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Charisma seen from space' - Britain's Davis stuns Rabadanov
Britain's Alfie Davis stunned defending champion Gadzhi Rabadanov to win the PFL lightweight tournament by unanimous decision in Charlotte, North Davis landed the more damaging strikes to edge a close contest with all three judges scoring it 48-47 in the 33-year-old's was overcome with emotion as the result was read out as he won $500,000 (£369,000) - a prize he described as "life-changing".He becomes the third Briton to win an annual PFL tournament after featherweight Brendan Loughnane in 2022 and women's flyweight Dakota Ditcheva last year."I don't know what to say, I've worked so hard for this," said Davis."To be a champion like Gadzhi, I respect him and have watched him for so many years – he and his team are amazing. To beat someone like that is a dream come true."Davis reached the final after enjoying the best spell of his 11-year career with wins over Clay Collard and Brent Russia's 32-year-old Rabadanov, however, he was facing last year's champion and a fighter on a 12-fight win said he had suffered from a lack of confidence in the past, but has put that behind him with a string of impressive new-found confidence was on full display as he danced his way to the cage, before being introduced as someone whose "charisma can be seen from space". Following a tentative first round, Rabadanov took control, earning the first takedown of the fight and controlling the action on the who had been on the back foot, started to open up in the third by stifling Rabadanov's pressure with a number of counter the crowd rallied, chanting "Alfie, Alfie", Davis landed an eye-catching spinning elbow, before spending the fourth round on his back following another takedown by the fifth could decide the fight, Davis' team said "win this round, change your life" before the final five minutes, and he delivered by landing the more damaging of victory, Davis ran around the cage with his arms aloft after the final bell before calling for the winner of Russia's Usman Nurmagomedov and Irishman Paul Hughes. Nurmagomedov defends his PFL lightweight belt, which was formerly the Bellator title, in a rematch against Hughes in Dubai on 3 the women's flyweight final, Liz Carmouche knocked out fellow American Jena Bishop before calling for a fight with who has won the first 15 fights of her career, beat Sumiko Inaba in July but is currently recovering from surgery after injuring her hand during the bout. Britain's Fabian Edwards competes in the middleweight final later this month when he faces American Dalton Rosta on 21 August in Hollywood, Florida.
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
X-rays negative on Phillies RHP Jhoan Duran's ankle
August 16 - Philadelphia Phillies closer Jhoan Duran, carted off the field on Friday in Washington after being hit by a one-hopper on his right ankle, underwent X-rays that were negative. The team announced that Duran would undergo further evaluation on Saturday. Duran entered in the ninth inning of the Phillies' road game against the Washington Nationals, with Philadelphia up 6-2. On Duran's fourth pitch, Paul DeJong hit a hard grounder that struck the pitcher and bounced toward the first base line. Duran came off the mound and raced toward the ball before slowing down and then stopping. He spoke with manager Rob Thomson and the club's trainers before finally exiting the field after a long delay. "He ran like a shot over to retrieve the ball, and then once he got there, I think the adrenaline wore off and the pain set in," Thomson said. "Before the cart came out, it took a long time and he said, 'I feel better, I think I can walk over to the dugout.' But there's all these steps here and we wanted to use the cart." David Robertson took over on the mound and allowed a double to Luis Garcia Jr. before retiring the next three batters to end the game. Duran, 27, was acquired by the Phillies on July 30 from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for right-handed reliever Mick Abel and minor league catcher Eduardo Tait. One of the majors' hardest-throwing pitchers, Duran is 4-for-4 in save chances for his new club with a 0.00 ERA in four innings. Overall this year, he has 20 saves in 22 opportunities with a 1.86 ERA in 54 appearances. He has 56 strikeouts and 18 walks in 53 1/3 innings. In four major league seasons, the first 3 1/2 with the Twins, Duran is 78-for-87 on save chances with a 17-23 record and a 2.42 ERA in 227 appearances, all in relief. --Field Level Media
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Rays come back three times, hand Giants 6th straight loss
August 16 - Yandy Diaz broke a ninth-inning tie with an RBI single, Junior Caminero launched his 35th home run and the visiting Tampa Bay Rays beat the San Francisco Giants 7-6 on Friday night in what turned into a battle of bullpens. After the first 3 1/2 innings resulted in a 6-6 tie, neither team scored again until the ninth. Nick Fortes was hit by a pitch from Giants closer Randy Rodriguez (3-4) leading off the final frame. Chandler Simpson's third hit sent Fortes to third, and Simpson stole second. After Brandon Lowe's grounder resulted in an out at the plate, Diaz singled to right, scoring Simpson. Ian Seymour, Garrett Cleavinger, Griffin Jax, Edwin Uceta (8-2) and Pete Fairbanks combined to shut out the Giants over the final six innings. Fairbanks threw a scoreless ninth for his 21st save after Rafael Devers' inning-opening double. The Giants held the upper hand on three occasions early on, scoring one in the first, two in the second and three in the third. But the Rays immediately countered with the same amount in the second, third and fourth, creating 1-1, 3-3 and 6-6 ties. Willy Adames homered, his 19th of the season, Patrick Bailey had a two-run double and Christian Koss and Heliot Ramos each doubled home a run to highlight the Giants' early attack on Rays starter Joe Boyle, who left after Adames' homer leading off the third. The right-hander allowed four runs and four hits, walked two and struck out three. Caminero produced Tampa Bay's first run with a solo homer in the second off Giants starter Landen Roupp. Simpson scored the tying run in the third, then created the 6-6 deadlock with a two-run single in the fourth. Roupp worked two batters into the fourth, getting neither out, and eventually was charged with five runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Simpson finished with three singles, two runs and two RBIs for the Rays, who won their second game in a row. Diaz had two hits and two RBIs, while Jake Mangum also collected two hits and Caminero also scored twice. Koss had a double and a single and scored twice for the Giants, who lost their sixth straight, all at home. Dominic Smith also had two hits, and Adames also scored twice. --Field Level Media
