Serena Williams coach drops bombshell statement ahead of French Open
SERENA WILLIAMS’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou insists the 23-time Grand Slam will compete at this year’s French Open - and aims to win.
GETTY
Venus Williams suggested earlier this week that her sister would possibly be fit to feature at the Italian Open this week.
But Serena Williams withdrew from the tournament, putting doubt over whether she would compete at Roland Garros.
The 36-year-old has not played a competitive match on clay since reaching the final of the French Open back in 2016.
And she has only played four singles matches this year following the birth of her first child Olympia in 2017.
She made her return at Indian Wells before falling in the first round of the Miami Open to Naomi Osaka.
GETTY
But Mouratoglou has revealed Williams will return to action next week in the French Open, and he is confident the former world No 1 will be competing for the title.
"Serena will play the French Open to win it,” Mouratoglou told the WTA Tour website.
“Can she do it? Serena can achieve anything - after being her coach for six years, I'm even more sure of that statement.”
He added: ”After her pregnancy, Serena had to rebuild her body. When she arrived at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, around April 30, we realised that she was not ready yet.
GETTY
“The time she lost after the delivery with all the medical issues she had to go through, was missing.
"That is the reason why we decided to skip Madrid and Rome as she needed five weeks to be perfectly ready.
“Then we worked with my team in order to prepare a programme for her to get back in her best shape including nutrition, fitness and, of course, tennis. So far, things are going very well.
“She is working extremely hard, she is improving in all the areas fast. I am very satisfied and confident that she will be ready for Roland Garros."