WTA: Serena comeback in Australia?

Is Serena Williams really coming back at the Australian Open 2018? This is by no means certain for your coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Whoever orders Serena Williams knows what the best tennis player of the last decade, possibly of all time, delivers: top speed from the first to the last ball change. Basically, tactical games are never to be assumed by Serena – if the American woman is on the court, then always to go for the whole thing.

So if Patrick Mouratoglou, Williams’ long-time coach in a conversation with CNN, suggests that his protégé is not yet 100% sure whether she will defend her title in Melbourne, then a later comeback than originally planned is quite conceivable.

“Serena is getting ready for 2018,” said Mouratoglou,”but that doesn’t mean she’s definitely going to start in Australia,” I’ll be joining her soon in Florida. We’ll look closely at how her body reacts. And then we’ll make a decision about the Australian Open.”

On the other hand, Na Li says that Serena is to be trusted with everything. The Chinese, two-time major champion, has not had a good experience with her former competitor on the court: Na Li only went off the court once in twelve matches. But the emotional side is a different story:”I couldn’t go through with it. With a baby so young, I couldn’t leave the family.”

In the world rankings, Serena Williams is still in 22nd place – despite the 36-year-old’s loss to Madison Brengle in 2017, which meant that the start in Auckland was off the mark with a defeat to Madison Brengle in the last 16, and a few days later in Melbourne on her way to 23rd place. Single major title in seven matches not a single set loss for Serena to digest.