Fact-check: Did Venus Williams say sister Serena Williams would be a Top 10 player if she made a comeback? Looking into the bold viral claim

A claim attributed to Venus Williams recently went viral. The reported claim stated that Serena Williams could break back into the WTA singles top 10 if she returned to competitive tennis action. But is this bold viral claim true? Let’s uncover the facts to find out.

On Wednesday, July 23, an X (formerly Twitter) page, ‘TENNISCentel’, posted a picture of Venus Williams at a press conference. The caption of the post contained the claim attributed to the former No. 1 and seven-time singles Major champion.

“I genuinely like the ladies playing right now, they try so hard, but I believe that if my sister came back, she could be a top ten, maybe top five player. She would definitely be a contender for any of the majors. That’s just what I believe,” Williams’ reported claim read.

Trending

At the time of writing this article, the post has garnered over 100 reposts and over 1,000 'heart' reacts, reflecting its viral status. However, it is worth noting that 'TENNISCentel' happens to be a tennis parody page on X, and the posts shared by the page, particularly the ones featuring quotes, are almost always fake.

Venus Williams is currently in Washington for the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open. While she has appeared in multiple press conferences and on-court interviews so far at the combined ATP and WTA 500 tournament, the 45-year-old has never talked about legendary sister Serena Williams potentially returning to the WTA top 10 if she made a comeback. So, the bold viral claim has no truth to it.

However, the elder Williams sister did admit to missing her sister in Washington at one of the press conferences.

"The only thing that would make this better is if Serena Williams was here" - Venus Williams

At a pre-tournament press conference ahead of her 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open campaign, Venus Williams was asked if her sister Serena is contemplating a pro tennis comeback. The question stemmed from a social media video shared by Serena Williams, which showed the now-retired former No. 1 and 23-time singles Slam winner hitting. In response, the elder Williams sister said:

“I mean, I keep saying to my team: ‘The only thing that would make this better is if she was here,’ like we always did everything together, so of course I miss her. But if she comes back, I’m sure she’ll let y’all know."

The 45-year-old paired up with compatriot Hailey Baptiste to play women's doubles in Washington, with the pair exiting the category in the quarterfinals. In singles, Williams picked up a fine first-round win over Peyton Stearns, and will face No. 5 seed Magdalena French next.

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Sudipto Pati

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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