“I think she could win singles matches”: Andy Roddick backs Serena Williams for singles return

Andy Roddick believes Serena Williams remains capable of winning singles matches if she decides to take her comeback beyond doubles, arguing that her serve and raw power are still sufficient to trouble WTA opposition.

The former US Open champion made the comments amid growing debate about whether Williams could eventually return to singles competition following her recent appearances at Queen’s Club and the Berlin Ladies Open.

Williams has so far limited her return to doubles after stepping away from the sport in 2022. She first returned in partnership with Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club, before teaming up with Karolina Muchova in Berlin, where their campaign ended with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe.

Despite the loss, Williams’ presence has reignited wider speculation about her competitive future. With Wimbledon confirming a doubles wild card for Serena and Venus Williams, attention has also turned to the remaining women’s singles wild card still to be awarded, fuelling further discussion about a possible return to the discipline.

Speaking on his Served podcast, Roddick directly addressed the level Williams has shown in her comeback appearances. While acknowledging uncertainty around her movement and match fitness over longer formats, he argued that her core weapons remain intact.

For Roddick, the key question is not whether Williams can hit through opponents, but whether she can sustain the physical demands of singles tennis after four years away from the tour.

"We still don't know how she moves laterally, and I don't think that's something that will improve in four years, but I think she could win singles matches," he said in Served with Roddick. "She'll hold her serve most of the time, and I think she'll break serve often."

He added that his impression after watching her return matches was straightforward: the sport still wants to see her in singles competition. The combination of serve speed, aggression and competitive presence continues to generate strong reactions from both fans and analysts. "When you watch her play this match, you see her ball speed reach 190 km/h, you see her play brilliantly and sweep aside the number three seed. We come away from the match saying: 'I want to see her singles matches.'"

Roddick also pointed to the broader context of her return, suggesting that the most relevant information may not be coming from match play alone. In his view, training activity during tournaments could provide a clearer indication of her ambitions.

"I don't think she's training for doubles during her off days," he added. "The atmosphere on center court is important, but what interests me is knowing how many practice matches she's played at Queen's and in Berlin during her off days. I want to know who she's playing practice matches against in Berlin. If she's actually playing them, that's a significant indicator.""

While Roddick’s assessment is optimistic, Serena Williams herself has been far more cautious about the idea of a singles return. Speaking during her press conference in Queen’s earlier this week, she did not commit to the possibility and emphasised the physical preparation required to even consider it.

"For singles? I can't say yeah, I can't say no, I would probably need to train more. That's not my journey now. I don't need to win, I've won more than most people in their whole lives. For me, it's not important to me, I have to remind myself of that, I don't have anything to lose. Everything here is to gain."

Those remarks contrast with the more expansive view offered by Roddick, who believes Williams’ existing tools are still enough to trouble players at tour level. However, they also leave a narrow opening, with Williams stopping short of definitively ruling anything out.

For now, Williams’ confirmed path is doubles alongside Venus Williams at Wimbledon, following their wild card entry. Whether that remains her only appearance in the draw, or the beginning of something more ambitious, remains unresolved.