When Joscelyn Roberson suffered a left ankle injury during the 2023 World Championships and had to put her plans on hold and work her way back to competition, Simone Biles was one of the people she could look to for support and inspiration. As her U.S. teammate and roommate, Roberson had a close-up view of how Biles handled setbacks. Now, with Biles facing a comeback decision of her own, the roles have almost been reversed. The Olympic champion is considering one more run at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, but Roberson seems to have a very different idea for her.

Instead of pushing Biles toward another Olympic comeback, Roberson has been reminding her that she does not have to return at all. “Hey babes, you’re good. Remember, you don’t have to come back. Stay at your house and stay with your husband,” Biles quoted Roberson to The Associated Press.

The message comes at a time when Biles is still trying to figure out what she wants from the next chapter of her career. The 29-year-old has not made a decision about the 2028 Olympics, although she admitted, “I feel like it’s kind of in the works which way I’m leaning towards.”

The thought of competing in Los Angeles is making that decision much harder. If Biles does return, she would compete at her fourth Olympic Games after Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024. She would also become the first American gymnast to compete at four Olympic Games. And it is not just the historic opportunity that is pulling at Biles. The chance to compete at a home Olympics is difficult for her to ignore. Still, another Olympic campaign would not be easy for Biles.

She would be 31 in 2028, and her life outside gymnastics now matters just as much as what happens inside the gym. Her plans with Jonathan Owens and her hope of starting a family are part of the decision, especially because another Olympic build-up could mean long periods of training and time apart from her husband.

“I am getting to the age of 30 where we start to talk about, ‘What does your reproduction cycle … what’s going on in there? What does that look like? How healthy is it?’” she said. “And so I think these are major things that are on the table at my age that I have to take into consideration and weigh those options and what that looks like and when we want to start a family.” At the same time, Biles knows that her return would change the picture for the younger gymnasts chasing places on the 2028 U.S. Olympic team.

“I know some of the girls would be like, ‘Oh no, Simone’s coming back,’” Biles said. And yet, Biles recently gave herself another reason to think twice about walking away. She went into the gym with her sister Adria and attempted a double layout. She landed the skill and was surprised by how little fear she felt. The moment did not give her a clear answer, but it reminded Biles that a comeback is still possible.

At the same time, she has reached a point where she does not need another medal or another Olympic appearance to feel satisfied with what she has accomplished. “I’ve experienced so much and I’d done so much, so it’s like, I also have to be doing it for the right reasons,” Biles said. Whether Biles listens to Roberson or decides that the pull of a home Olympics remains unclear. 

But Biles has been feeling unsure of herself for a while. Back in April 2026 described her chances of competing at LA28 as “50-50” to travel to LA28, conceding that she was running out of time to make the decision. But months later, things have started to change.