‘I keep telling her to come back’ – F1 legend Lewis Hamilton reveals Serena Williams comeback wish

F1 driver Lewis Hamilton said he would “love” to see Serena Williams back on the tennis court and revealed he has been telling her to make a comeback.

Williams’ return to the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s International Registered Testing Pool has ignited speculation that the 23-time Grand Slam winner could be preparing to return to the court for the first time since 2022, and one of her close friends Hamilton said he would love to see her back.

Speaking after the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton was asked if he would like to see Williams back on the tennis court and revealed he had been asking her to do just that.

“I’d love to [see it],” he said. “I keep telling her to come back.

“Massive, massive supporter of her. She’s the greatest of all time, such a legend.

“She was at one of the races just recently. A dear friend as well, which I’m really honoured by.”

Williams was at the recent Qatar Grand Prix – as well as Novak Djokovic – but has not played a professional tennis match since the 2022 US Open.

Even back then, her retirement status was up for debate after she wrote an op-ed for Vogue but refused to use the word.

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“I have never liked the word retirement,” Williams wrote. “It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me.

“I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something  very specific and important to a community of people.

“Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”

Later that year, she said at an event the chances of her returning was “very high.”

However, she tweeted in early December that she was “NOT coming back” despite being reappearing on the anti-doping list.

If Serena Williams is looking for inspiration, she need only look to her older sister Venus who is still competing at the age of 45. There has been some speculation that the Williams sisters could team up for the women’s doubles at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Former world No.5 Anna Chakvetadze told Tennis365 it would be “very special” if Williams did make a return.

“Serena is a legend of our sport and one of the greatest champions in history,” said the Russian.

“If she ever decides to return, it would obviously be something very special for tennis.

“In individual matches, especially on the biggest stages, she could still look very competitive. But a full tournament, and especially the two-week Grand Slam distance, is a completely different challenge.

“The key question is how the body responds to that kind of physical load over time.

“If she does come back, I’m sure it would only be for something truly meaningful to her. She has achieved everything in tennis, and her legacy is already untouchable.”

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