Retirement does not always mean a clean break from competing, and Serena Williams is proving that point in real time. Andy Murray, someone who retired from tennis, has been witnessing her return to the game with both amazement and respect.

When speaking to BBC Sport, Murray talked about his conversation with Williams at the 2025 Miami Open.

"She asked if I missed playing. I was like, 'not at all, to be honest,'" Murray said on BBC Sport. "She said, 'Yes, I miss it every single day. I absolutely loved competing, love playing. If I could, I'd be back out there again.'"

It becomes clear why Murray was not surprised by Williams’ comeback because Williams, at the age of 43, prepares for her first appearance at Wimbledon since 2022 in doubles, partnering with her sister Venus, who got a wildcard into the draw ten years after their victory.

Williams is making a slow comeback to the game, playing doubles at the Queen's and Berlin Open tournaments together with her teammates Victoria Mboko and Karolina Muchova. This build-up is tied directly to that of Murray, as he is making a comeback to Wimbledon this year as the coach of Jack Draper.

"To see her back on the court competing, playing doubles with her sister at Wimbledon. It's brilliant for tennis," Murray said.

Murray and Williams have themselves played together on a Wimbledon court before as a team in mixed doubles in 2019, where their team was tagged as "Murrena" but lost in the third round.

However, later on, Williams herself reached the finals and lost against Simona Halep in straight sets, making her the oldest female Open Era singles finalist in Wimbledon history.

There was a surprising twist in that singles storyline as well.

Serena Williams Adds Singles Return to Wimbledon Plans

Williams is going to be competing in both singles and doubles this year at Wimbledon, as she accepted a wildcard entry in the singles tournament after a spot became available since her initial announcement on Tuesday.

"You think I'm ready for singles? I need to get to work," Williams said when asked earlier this month about a possible singles return.

Williams is currently playing her second doubles match since coming back to action this month after being out for four years, so playing in a Grand Slam singles tournament has become a much larger move than anyone could have anticipated.

Her past at the All England Club adds more importance to this situation. Williams has won Wimbledon singles seven times, although she has won no match since her defeat in the finals in 2019 against Simona Halep.

She will know her first-round opponent on Friday, as matches start on Monday, June 29.

Is Serena Williams going to do well at Wimbledon singles in her return? Comment below your thoughts.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta