"She has the right to play whenever, wherever, and how often she wants to play, we're just happy she's back" - Tracy Austin on Serena Williams
Former World No. 1 Tracy Austin believes Serena Williams has earned the right to play on her own terms, and that the tournaments she plays in as well as the regularity of her participation do not matter. Austin is just happy with the prospect of seeing Williams competing once again.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion begins her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title against French player Harmony Tan on Tuesday. Williams played just two doubles matches at the Eastbourne International tournament leading up to Wimbledon.
Speaking during a segment for the Tennis Channel, Austin believes that the attraction of playing at Wimbledon motivated Serena Williams to make a comeback after a year-long absence, having last played at the same event in 2021. Despite raising concerns about her match fitness, Austin said she was not too worried about Williams.
"I think the draw of playing at least one more Wimbledon is really what encouraged her to come back and play," Austin said. "Is it a little too late? (She has played) just two doubles matches before coming into Wimbledon.
"She has a decent draw, we talked about that yesterday. She has the right to play whenever, wherever, and how often she wants to play. We're just happy she's back," she added.
Joining Austin during the chat was former ATP player Jan-Michael Gambill, who echoed the former US Open champion's thoughts about cherishing Williams' comeback above all else.
Gambill also believes that the 23-time Grand Slam champion should comfortably get through her first-round match. While Gambill would love to see Williams play at the US Open, for now he is looking forward to seeing how she fares at Wimbledon.
"It's just something wonderful seeing her back on the court," Gambill said. "I do think that Harmony Tan in the first round is a winnable match certainly for her, it's a good first round.
"She dropped that little hint with the grass thing that she's maybe going to play at Wimbledon. We'd love to see her play at the US Open as well, obviously. But it's just great to see her back out there and who knows what she can accomplish when she steps foot on the court. She can draw on a lot of amazing experience," Gambill added.
🤩
@serenawilliams is ready to attempt to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title 
The return of the G.O.A.T. 🐐🤩
🇺🇸 @serenawilliams is ready to attempt to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title 🏆
#Wimbledon https://t.co/eWD1yFCwNt
Serena Williams has "high goals" for the 2022 Wimbledon Championships
Serena Williams might be playing her first tournament in 12 months at the age of 40, but she still has high expectations of herself at Wimbledon. Speaking during a pre-tournament news conference, Williams responded confidently when asked about her goals for Wimbledon.
"You know my answer to that, come on now. I have high goals. Every match is hard, every match. You cannot underestimate anyone, on any day. And anyone could have been drawn to play me," Williams said.
The American admitted that she had no plans to make a comeback and just went with the flow. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, she jumped at the chance to play at Wimbledon.
"It's nice to be here. I needed to heal physically and mentally. I had no plans [about my return], to be honest. I didn't know when or how I would come back. It just kinda worked out," added Serena Williams.
on number 24 Serena has her 👀 on number 24
#Wimbledon | @serenawilliams https://t.co/X1LRyc9LVj
While the odds are certainly against the unseeded Williams, many tennis experts and former players have stressed that she can never be counted out as a title contender, particularly at Wimbledon. The American has a chance to become the first unseeded player to win the women's singles title at Wimbledon.