Ever since Serena Williams’ testing window closed on February 22 under the ITIA’s registered testing pool, which she entered last year, questions about her comeback have been rife. While Williams may not have given a definite answer herself, her practice partner has shared her two cents.

The current world No. 105, Alycia Parks, after winning her first round at the Miami Open, gave one of the most intriguing updates on Williams’ current state while speaking to Tennis Channel. 

“I did text her when I was, I think, in the Middle East. I was like, ‘Hey, can you practice when I come back to the States?’ and she was like, ‘Yeah, let’s go.’ So we got in a few sessions, and yeah, she’s been helping me,” Parks said.

“When I’m home, I would say we practice together probably three times a week. She’s hitting good. She’s definitely fit. She looks great, and she’s hitting the ball amazing. No practice sets, just like, I guess, games. Like groundstroke games. I think we’re tied right now,” she added.

The 44-year-old last played a tennis match at the 2022 US Open. When she stepped away from the sport, she did not call it retirement, but rather described it as “evolving away.” This left fans wondering whether the 23-time Grand Slam champion could return to the sport in the future.

“I don’t know if she’s coming back, I don’t know when she’s coming back. Yeah, we just go to practice, we don’t really talk about too much of her coming back, just fun stuff when we are talking,” Parks said on being asked about Williams’ comeback.

Probably the closest person to Serena Williams, her sister Venus Williams, has never stopped competing on the tour. Recently, she participated in the Miami Open, exiting in the first round against Francesca Jones to register her ninth consecutive loss. When asked about her sister’s potential comeback to professional tennis at Indian Wells, her answer was very brief. 

“I think you should definitely ask her that,” Williams said.

Fellow legend, Novak Djokovic, had also predicted Serena Williams’ return to the sport. He had suggested that she could make a comeback at this year’s Wimbledon in the doubles category with her sister. 

Even the former world No. 1 has sent a bunch of mixed signals to the fans, which has added to the speculation. When she was asked about her return on the TODAY Show in late January, she had said:

“Omg, y’all, I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy. That’s not a yes or a no. I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens. That’s not a maybe,” Williams added.

She has also shared videos of training and hitting on social media. This has sparked another wave of speculation about her return to the sport. The signals keep adding up, and there is a strong chance that we might see her competing anytime soon. Whether she actually makes a comeback on tour, however, remains her decision.

The regular hitting partner of Williams even pitched in on how the training sessions helped her improve her game.

Serena Williams’ insights are already paying off for Alycia Parks

The 25-year-old American defeated Sinja Kraus in a closely contested two-set match in the opening round of the Miami Open. Alycia Parks gave some of the credit to the hitting sessions she’s having with the all-time great. 

“It definitely gives me a lot of confidence. I do feel like the stuff that she is teaching me in practice, it is applying in my game and matches, so I’m just going to keep doing that and keep building from that,” Parks stated. “I guess on the slow balls, kind of be more patient. And then patterns, so we’ve been working on that quite a bit.” 

The former world No. 40 has slipped out of the top 100 rankings. As she strives to climb up the rankings, she is not alone on that journey. Williams has been actively coaching her through specific areas of her game, and the results are showing up in matches. 

Having a 23-time Grand Slam champion in your corner three times a week is as good as it gets. Do you think Serena Williams will transition from practice sessions to a Grand Slam setting, or take up a coaching role as she’s mentoring a fellow American?

Share your thoughts in the comments.