"For many, at that point, the Grand Slam was no longer the most important thing": Media circus surrounding Serena Williams annoyed Andrea Petkovic

Monday, 15 June 2026 at 00:00

Serena Williams returned to the court after nearly four years away as she chose to return in doubles for now with no singles foray just yet but Andrea Petkovic who was on of the first to break the news prior to it being confirmed was left annoyed at the media circus of it all.

Petkovic spoke on the latest episode of Becker Petkovic and said that she was asked on during Roland Garros to discuss it and she flat out refused saying that it became a point when the news became more important than the Grand Slam which she loathed.

She said that the talking point should've revolved around players struggling in the heat and the upcoming tournament and not the legendary American returning.

But speaking to Becker, she added that there is definitely an ulterior motive in mind which she sees as being singles likely due to the fact that no-one jumps into the rigours of constant doping tests in order to just play doubles. She plays again this week with Karolina Muchova in Berlin. "In my opinion, nobody in the world, no athlete, voluntarily returns to those doping protocols, least of all Serena Williams. You give up a part of your freedom, a part of your life.

"They know where you are every day, all the time, and they can visit you anytime, at any hour. They often come at five in the morning, just to harass you.

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"Excuse my language, but that's the truth. Nobody does that, Boris, just to play a little doubles. I think she's playing doubles to see how her body reacts and if she can handle it.

"I saw her doubles match and I must say she was fantastic. She was serving at 190 km/h. The stadium was packed, all tickets sold out. If she can replicate that in singles, I would never achieve that, but kudos to her."

Media circus surrounding Serena Williams

She added the whole situation with being asked onto the talk show and declining the invite. "It annoyed me. I was hosting a show on CNN, and the day they announced her return, they wanted me to start the show talking about that.

I refused. I told them a Grand Slam tournament was happening right after and players were suffering from the heat. I refused to start the show with that.

Serena is a true legend, but as long as a major tournament is underway, I'm not going to start the show with that.

I'll give you more details later, but I want to start the show talking about the players who are giving it their all.

For many, at that point, the Grand Slam was no longer the most important thing; Serena's return in doubles was more important

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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