'My gut is probably': Rick Macci thinks Serena Williams could join Venus at the US Open

Rick Macci hinted at the possibility of Serena Williams coming out of retirement to play mixed doubles with her sister Venus Williams, following Queen V's recent return to the WTA Tour. The elder Williams sister, now 45 years old, refuses to retire and has made several appearances in recent weeks, competing in the D.C. Open and Cincinnati Open after receiving wildcards.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Venus's inclusion as a wildcard for the WTA 500 D.C. Open in Washington drew attention. The former world No. 1 competed in both the singles and doubles draws (alongside Hailey Baptiste), winning a match in each before being eliminated.

In fact, her singles victory was against none other than the world No. 35 at the time, Peyton Stearns—a notable win that made it clear Williams arrived at the tournament with a competitive level. In the second round, however, she couldn't do much against the 5th seed Magdalena Frech (No. 25 at the time).

In the doubles draw, she also secured a straightforward victory against Clervie Ngounoue and Eugenie Bouchard to advance to the quarterfinals. There, she fell to the eventual champions, Shuaio Zhang and Taylor Townsend (the current doubles No. 1), in a third-set tie-break (4-6, 6-3, [6-10]).

Venus's continued comeback ignites Serena speculation

Despite some criticism regarding Venus Williams' inclusion as a wildcard, the seven-time major champion proved she still has what it takes to compete at the top level and was a deserving recipient of the wildcard. This week, she received another wildcard at the Cincinnati Open, and although she put up a good fight, she ended up losing to Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (4-6, 4-6), making an early exit from the tournament.

She still has another confirmed challenge in this North American hardcourt swing, as Venus is set to play mixed doubles at the US Open with Reilly Opelka in the week leading up to the tournament. The full list of wildcards for the singles and doubles draws has not yet been announced, so it would be no surprise if Williams receives another wildcard, considering the attention she has received in recent weeks.

In this context, her former coach, Rick Macci, who was instrumental in the Williams sisters' formative years, believes Venus could team up with her sister Serena for women's doubles at the US Open. The 23-time Grand Slam champion retired from professional play almost three years ago, at the 2022 US Open, where she reached the fourth round and fell to Ajla Tomljanović in three sets.

Rick Macci took to social media to give his opinion on the matter, believing the younger Williams sister could return at a good level if she wanted to make another appearance on the tour. "Asked if Serena will play doubles with Vee at the OPEN. My gut is probably because at the end of the day Serena can still play even though she has been away. Her serve is still one of the best on the planet and when she competes her mindset is like granite."