The comeback of Serena Williams has been the talk of the tennis town as the 23-time Major champion is all set to return to competitive tennis at the Queen’s Club Championships this week. And 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu wasn’t spared from sharing her opinion on the comeback story.

The Brit was asked about her potential longevity in the sport and whether she had any plans to play until her 40s, like Williams, to which the 23-year-old offered an insightful response.

“I personally don’t, but I mean, I don’t know many players who’ve played until they are older”, said Raducanu at the press conference before the tournament. “I don’t know if you would have asked them when they were 20 if they see themselves playing, you know, into their 40s, and I think it’s an amazing thing… I have a lot of respect for anyone who comes back and keeps playing for the duration.”

Playing into their 40s is not everyone’s cup of tea, especially in a sport like tennis, where the physical demands on athletes are tremendous and the mental strain of a hectic schedule that sees players in action, on average, for 60-70 matches is intense. However, having advanced sports science at their disposal and greater knowledge of body maintenance, players have been able to extend their careers, as Raducanu pointed out.

Raducanu did not miss her opportunity to speak about Williams, expressing her joy at the American’s return to tennis. The Brit expressed her desire to have a conversation with the GOAT, picking her brains about the game and how to move her game forward. Incidentally, Williams and Raducanu have played each other once on Tour, with Raducanu winning 6-4, 6-0 in the Round of 16 at the 2022 Cincinnati Open.

Raducanu’s mention of sports science was not off the mark, as players now have a better idea of how to take care of their bodies, enabling them to have longer careers in the sport. Even though Serena Williams is making her comeback, Venus Williams is still an active player in her mid-40s. The results might not go in her favor much nowadays, but she’s still capable of pushing the younger players to three sets, as seen at the Australian Open. Another player playing at 39 is Sara Errani, who just won the mixed doubles title with Andrea Vavassori at the French Open. Yes, one can argue that the Italian is a doubles specialist with lower physical demands, but maintaining Grand-Slam-winning form at that age is no mean feat.

Even though she does not get an opportunity to speak with Williams, Raducanu hopes to have some good results on grass, with the British player coming to Queens after a poor year.

Emma Raducanu Will Look to Turn Her Season Around on the Grass

Raducanu has a 7-8 win-loss record this year, despite achieving a significant milestone. Playing as the top seed at the Transylvania Open earlier this year, the British player reached the final, her second career final, her first since the underdog fairytale US Open win back in 2021. The result did not go her way, as she was defeated by the home favorite Sorana Cirstea, but that run would have made her fans believe that the immediate future looked bright.

However, that was not the case, as Raducanu lost three of her next four matches, including an opening-round exit in Doha and Dubai and a third-round exit at Indian Wells. Following these losses, she contracted a viral illness, which kept her out of almost all of the clay season. She played only two events on the dirt, losing to Diane Parry in Strasbourg and having a first-round exit at the French Open, where she lost to Solana Sierra.

Coming on grass, Raducanu will expect to have better returns. The grass season is a short window as is, and most of the events are in the UK, where a lot of scrutiny will be on Raducanu in the lead-up to Wimbledon, where she had a great tussle against Aryna Sabalenka last year. She is all set to begin her campaign at the Queens tournament against Anna Blinkova, who will be the first opponent for both players.