Serena Williams' coach Rennae Stubbs picks Daria Saville over the American to win the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award
Serena Williams returned to the WTA Tour at Wimbledon after a year on the sidelines. She then announced her retirement from tennis in August, just before the 2022 US Open, and had a poignant send-off after losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in New York.
The American was recently nominated for the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award alongside Donna Vekic, Daria Saville, and Tatjana Maria.
When a Twitter user stated that Vekic should win the award, although it would probably go to Williams, Rennae Stubbs opined that Saville deserved to win it.
no, should be Daria.....Love Donna and she had a great come back but Dasha deserves this one,” Stubbs replied.
@Maria_Tatjana
Will be: Serena
Should be: Donna twitter.com/wta/status/159…
@aronsolomon no, should be Daria.....Love Donna and she had a great come back but Dasha deserves this one
Stubbs pointed out that Saville has undergone numerous surgeries over the past three years, making what she did this season "incredible."
“Dasha had a Achilles and a#foot surgeries. She’s has so many surgery’s in the last 3 years and what she didn’t his year was INCREDIBLE!” she wrote.
@rennaestubbs @aronsolomon YES. Who else has reconstructive elbow surgery, and comes back and immediately gets back into the top 100?
Vekic was amazing, but her comeback has been more of a slow burn that picked up pace in 2022.
@LudwigLin @aronsolomon Dasha had a Achilles and a#foot surgeries. She’s has so many surgery’s in the last 3 years and what she didn’t his year was INCREDIBLE!
Daria Saville underwent Achilles tendon surgery in 2021, causing her to miss over a year of action. On her comeback this season, however, she made a return to the top 100 for the first time since 2019.
The 28-year-old, who was ranked No. 627 at the beginning of February, has climbed more than 500 spots due to outstanding performances at the Citi Open, Indian Wells, Miami, and the Granby National Bank Championships.
Unfortunately, she tore her ACL at the Japan Open, bringing her season to a close.
You always love what you don't have; so I'm already missing it" - Serena Williams
In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, Serena Williams was asked about her relationship with professional tennis going forward. Williams didn't have a clear answer but admitted to missing the sport.
"Yeah, I don't know. I'm not, I'm definitely, I don't know. I'll always have a relationship with tennis, right? So I'm gonna keep that open-ended, to be honest. It is. It's a big part of who I am. I love doing it. I love the competition. And you always love what you don't have. So I'm already missing it," Serena Williams said.
Williams also discussed how she looks after her mental health.
“I just relax. I play video games with my daughter. She's young and she loves it. Turns out I love it too,” she said.