MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Open officials are hopeful Serena Williams will make her competitive comeback to tennis next January to defend her title at Melbourne Park.
At a news conference Tuesday called to announce an increase in prize money for the year's first major, tournament director Craig Tiley said Williams was planning on playing the Jan. 15-28 Australian Open.
Williams was pregnant last January when she beat her sister Venus in the final. Serena gave birth to a daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., on Sept. 1 and has previously said she plans to return to playing in 2018.
If that's in Melbourne, she'll be competing for more money.
The tournament's overall prize pool will increase to 55 million Australian dollars ($42.7 million), and the men's and women's singles champions will earn $A4 million (about $3.1 million depending on exchange rates), an increase of 20 percent.
Tiley said Williams was back in training to defend her title.
"Serena will be back," Tiley was quoted as saying. "We look forward to welcoming her and again go on that journey of breaking the all-time record for the most number of Grand Slams."
Donate with Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig to help Puerto Rico: