Update on Serena Williams' Status for US Open amid Injury Recovery After Loss in Wimbledon Return

Serena Williams' comeback tour may include a return to the U.S. Open.

Rennae Stubbs, who coaches Williams, told reporters Tuesday the 23-time Grand Slam winner intends to compete in the final major tournament of the 2026 season.

"As long as physically she can go — and I'm hoping in a few weeks that's the case — to get her back on the court and hitting balls," Stubbs said.

Williams lost to Maya Joint in three sets in the first round at Wimbledon. In addition to the defeat, she suffered a knee injury that forced her to withdraw from her women's doubles match with sister Venus.

The U.S. Open gets underway on Aug. 30, but Williams will likely prefer to be on the court before that.

"I know that for her, trying to play certainly something before the U.S. Open will be something she would like to do," Stubbs said. "But at the same time it's going to depend on how physically she's doing."

Players typically use the National Bank Open in Toronto and Cincinnati Open as their final tune-ups prior to making the trip to New York City. Those events start on Aug. 2 and 13 respectively.

Williams is a six-time U.S. Open champion, most recently winning in 2014. She reached back-to-back finals in 2018 and 2019 and was a semifinalist in 2020.

Nobody will have any false ideas about the likelihood of 44-year-old going all the way to the final in Flushing Meadows. Based on the television ratings, there's still plenty of fascination with seeing the legend in action.