This archive report was first published on 10 May 2021.
May 10, 2021 - Serena Williams has sparked uncertainty over her potential participation in the Tokyo Olympics, as she prepares to return to the tennis circuit at the Italian Open.
The 39-year-old tennis star, still ranked eighth in the world, has been absent from the courts since her semi-final defeat by Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open in February.
Williams remains undecided about joining Team USA in Japan this summer, particularly if it means being away from her daughter Olympia for an extended period.
"I haven't spent 24 hours without her, so that kind of answers the question itself," Williams said, referencing her close relationship with her three-year-old daughter.
Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, a record she shares with her sister Venus, but her focus is currently on her personal life and her return to tennis.
"I'm ready to get started again in Rome as preparation for the French Open, which starts in Paris on May 30," she said.
Williams has been stuck on 23 major trophies, one behind Australia's Margaret Court, since winning the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant.
