Novak Djokovic has suggested that Serena Williams could see Wimbledon as the ideal venue to return to tennis if the 23-times Grand Slam champion decides to make a comeback later this year.
The 44-year-old American has not played since the 2022 US Open, where she was knocked out in the third round, after which she said she was "evolving away from tennis".
But she fuelled speculation about a potential return after re-entering the sport's anti-doping pool last year.
"I think she's coming back. I don't know. I haven't spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she's coming back,” Djokovic told reporters at Indian Wells in California on Thursday.
"I pick that one (Wimbledon) as well as her comeback, but yeah, I don't know. I think she might maybe play a doubles tournament or two with Venus. That would be nice to see, just from my point of view and for tennis fans."
Djokovic added that having one of the game's most dominant figures back in action would be a welcome sight.
“She's one of the greatest athletes. It would be great to have her back.”
Tennis Channel analyst Prakash Amritraj said Williams would have to get some warm-up events under her belt before making a return at an event such as Wimbledon, where she won seven Grand Slam titles.
“Maybe there's a world where she is gearing up for Wimbledon,” he told Reuters.
"But I don't think she would just rock up and play it. She definitely needs to get some matches in before playing. So maybe there are some warm-up tournaments.
"And then on the lighter side, if she's doing it, I got my wish list card for Serena-Roger (Federer) mixed doubles at the US Open."
Wimbledon is one of the Grand Slams played on grass and will be held from June 29 to July 12 in London.
The American has two children and denied that she is preparing to return to the sport she dominated for two decades, but raised eyebrows in January by deflecting questions about a comeback during an appearance on NBC's Today Show.
Her former coach Rick Macci also recently commented on the speculation and said her impressive training regimen pointed towards a return.
Macci, who previously coached Williams and her sister Venus in the early 1990s, told French publication L'Equipe:
"She's training with lots of sparring partners - guys. She's also played with Alycia Parks, a good friend of hers in South Florida. So I have no doubt about it (her comeback). I always thought she would come back from time to time to make appearances with Venus in doubles.
"But we're not just talking about doubles here ... she's going all out. If she didn't think she could compete with the best and win matches, she wouldn't do it. It's 100% certain she'll dive back into competition."
Macci had no doubts about Williams' ability to handle the rigours of the tour.
"The question is whether that competitive spirit is still there. She's answering that question herself: she's coming back because she is a competitor at heart."
Venus, who has won Wimbledon five times and the US Open twice, is continuing to play tournaments at the age of 45.
