Ajla Tomljanovic—the last player to beat Serena—welcomes potential Williams comeback

MELBOURNE, Australia—Ajla Tomljanovic became the last player to win a match against Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open, but that moment in tennis history suddenly became less certain when it was reported that the 23-time Grand Slam champion had cleared the way for a potential comeback by re-entering the anti-doping testing pool.

Though Williams shot down the idea of a comeback on social media, the fact remains that it would be legally possible to see her back in action as soon as this summer—something the Aussie saw as a “win-win.”

“I think it's great if she comes back,” she said after a three-set victory over Yuliia Starodubtseva on Monday. “We definitely miss her.

“I do hope in a way that I stay the last one just 'cause it's cool. Maybe it's for doubles, who knows. I think we'll have to wait and see.”

A former world No. 32, Tomljanovic ironically faced retirement rumors of her own last summer when she launched an interview series entitled Love Ajla, in which she chatted with players about life, love, and the pursuit of tennis glory.

“A few people came up to me [asking], ‘Are you like...?’ No, no, no, I still got my day job!

“I just feel like it's fun to try new things still connected to tennis. Yeah, I will hopefully do more of that. But as long as I'm healthy and enjoying tennis, I really hope my career, there's still a few good years left in me.”

With time to make more tennis history herself, Tomljanovic welcomes whatever comes next for her former rival.

“If she comes back, it's going to be great to see her,” she said. “If she doesn't, I'll still be the last one.”