Alycia Parks, after her first-round win at the Miami Open, provided insights into Serena Williams' current tennis form from their practice sessions. The world No. 105 described Williams as fit and hitting well, though she remains uncertain about any professional comeback. Parks credits the sessions for boosting her own game.
Alycia Parks, ranked world No. 105, spoke to Tennis Channel after defeating Sinja Kraus in the first round of the Miami Open. She revealed practicing with Serena Williams about three times a week when home in the United States. Parks initiated the sessions by texting Williams while in the Middle East, leading to multiple hitting practices focused on groundstrokes, where they are currently tied in games, without full practice sets. Parks noted, “She’s hitting good. She’s definitely fit. She looks great, and she’s hitting the ball amazing.” They discuss fun topics rather than comeback plans, with Parks stating, “I don’t know if she’s coming back, I don’t know when she’s coming back.” Serena Williams, 44, last competed at the 2022 US Open, describing her departure as “evolving away” rather than retirement. On the TODAY Show in late January, she said, “Omg, y’all, I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy. That’s not a yes or a no. I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens. That’s not a maybe.” She shares training videos on social media. Venus Williams, when asked at Indian Wells, replied, “I think you should definitely ask her that.” Novak Djokovic predicted a possible Wimbledon doubles return with her sister. Parks, a former world No. 40 now outside the top 100, attributes recent improvements to Williams' advice on patience with slow balls and patterns. “It definitely gives me a lot of confidence... it is applying in my game and matches,” she said.
