A year has passed, and Venus Williams has kept fans from her stellar performances. Williams has been teasing the community about a potential comeback to the competitive circuit at age 44 for some time now. The Compton native previously received a wildcard for the Indian Wells Masters after the tournament aired the announcement. However, excitement about her return quickly faded after Williams confirmed that she wouldn’t compete in Tennis Paradise owing to other commitments. Regardless, it looks like the seven-time Slam champion might be more indulged to get back on the charts now.
On Wednesday, March 19, fans noticed that Williams appeared on the practice schedule of the Miami Open. Coincidentally, the American sensation played her last professional match at the Masters 1000 event last year, where she suffered an opening-round loss to young talent Diana Shnaider. In the training setup, the former World No. 1 appeared alongside three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur on Court 13.
Ons Jabeur, just a toddler when Serena Williams claimed her inaugural Miami Open title, later had the opportunity to face her idol on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon in 2021. “She’s amazing,” Jabeur had said of Venus. “I had breakfast with her a couple of times. She’s really an inspiration in what she did for women’s tennis, winning all of those Grand Slams, along with her sister.”
Venus Williams practicing with Ons Jabeur at the Miami Open.
She’s not playing the event… but it’s always special to see this legend on a tennis court.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 19, 2025
At a time when no one expected her to wield the racket, let alone practice with the Tunisian star, seeing her return made fans fantasize about her comeback – and potential double trouble with the Tunisian player – for a quick minute.
However, as luck would have it, the American icon will not feature in the Miami Masters. Turns out her training session with Jabeur was nothing more than a sporadic manoeuvre. Nevertheless, stunned by her recent appearance, fans immediately took to social media to comment on her stepping back on the court.
Netizens envy “Miami guests” who witnessed Venus Williams’ practice at the Masters 1000 event
Thrilled to see Venus Williams back on the court, one fan expressed their excitement: “She is back.” Another user noted that it was “Nice to see Venus on court”, while one netizen highlighted that the community spotting her at the Masters 1000 tournament “must have been a treat for the Miami guests.”
Leading up to the Indian Wells tournament, Venus Williams found herself embroiled in controversy, sparked by reports that she was poised to make her highly anticipated return to the court. “I’m not… That wasn’t true. No, I’m not playing. I found the announcement super amusing because, I don’t know, people seem to be happy, so I was like, maybe I’ll just go with it, I don’t know, I’m not going,” she cleared the air at the time.
It is worth noting that the seven-time major champion debuted in Miami in 1998 and her appearances at the Sunshine Double have been nothing short of spectacular. She lifted three titles in a span of four years (1998-2001) and outclassed some of the top-ranked players in all the 18 matches she played. Williams was merely 20 years old when she won her last silverware in the 2001 edition of the Miami Masters. Unfortunately, the prospect of her winning a fourth trophy was thwarted when tendinitis in both wrists forced her out of competition at the beginning of the 2020 season.
Coming back to fans’ comments, nonetheless, another netizen preached to fans – “Bow down to the goddess!”, whereas another user prayed for Williams to come “back playing tournaments soon.” For those unaware, Williams has often talked about retirement plans saying she is “not done with the racket yet”.
Moreover, after appearing at the Masters 1000 event last year, the former World No. 1 highlighted that she “really wanted to play in Miami home because I hadn’t played there in like five years.” Despite briefly returning to the tour last year, Williams took a step back after featuring in Miami. Her absence from the circuit came a year after she was unable to follow up on her plans in 2023 after sustaining an injury.
Having played just 10 matches that year, the American sensation was sidelined for the entire season and later expressed her willingness to come back stronger. “I am targeting March, that’s when the tournaments go back to the States, so my goal is to be up and running when tournaments come back to the US. I tried my best to recover for the US Open. I did not reach my form, so now I am just resting until I get back.”
With no plans to call it quits any time soon, fans still hope that Williams will return to the fold for some action. Though now occupied with several off-court ventures and an occasional trip overseas, the tennis landscape could benefit from an appearance or two from the five-time Wimbledon winner!
The post ‘Treat for Miami Guests’- Venus Williams’ Surprise Miami Open Appearance Sparks Buzz as Fans Gush Over Her Training Session appeared first on EssentiallySports.