Serena Williams’ return to tennis has been anything but smooth. A knee injury prevented her from completing the long-awaited Williams sisters reunion in the Wimbledon doubles event, and with her return came another wave of discussion about her appearance instead of her game.
It remains unclear how long Williams plans to continue playing or whether this comeback will become permanent, but she is now reportedly targeting the 2026 US Open. A recent social media post meant to show that her knee was improving quickly turned into something else, as the comments were filled with insensitive remarks about her physique rather than her recovery.
A familiar conversation returns
Serena Williams is once again facing the kind of scrutiny no athlete wants to experience, as conversations about her body have returned to the spotlight. Throughout her tennis career, Williams was often criticized for her muscular, powerful physique despite consistently redefining what athletic excellence looked like. Now, as she embraces a slimmer appearance in a new stage of her life, the discussion has shifted once again. Fans expressed concern over what they described as her noticeable weight loss after Williams shared a video showing her knee recovery. But what appears to bother many people isn’t that she lost weight—she still looks strong and healthy—but the way she chose to do it.
Williams built her career as one of the most powerful players the sport has ever seen. Her strong physique often became the subject of criticism because it did not fit traditional expectations of the female body. Now that she has become slimmer, the conversation has simply changed direction, with some questioning whether her weight loss has been healthy.
Some critics have linked her physical transformation to the medication she previously revealed she had taken. Williams explained that she used it not only to lose weight but also because she was concerned about her family’s history of diabetes, adding that she now feels healthier than she did during her years as a professional athlete.
The focus remains on her comeback
Regardless of the medication, the reality is that Williams has faced comments about her body at every stage of her career. The continued focus on her appearance has overshadowed what should be the biggest story: one of the greatest players in tennis history is making an iconic return to the sport.
Everything suggests that Williams has no intention of slowing down, and the outside noise is unlikely to affect her comeback. There are rumors that she hopes to play mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz at the 2026 US Open, while the WTA 1000 event in Canada is reportedly awaiting her response regarding a possible wildcard. Based on the recovery update she recently shared, her knee appears to be progressing in the right direction.
Serena Williams has won the Canadian tournament three times, lifting the title in 2001, 2011, and 2013. The event could become the stage for her return to hard courts after her appearance on grass, although everything will depend on the condition of her knee. The priority remains arriving at the 2026 US Open fully recovered.
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