At 44, have we seen the last of Venus Williams? Well, not really. The American legend is yet to announce her retirement, leaving many in the tennis world guessing. On the other hand, there are no signs of her comeback as she continues her absence from the WTA Tour. Williams last featured in the Miami Open earlier this year, losing in the first round against Diana Shnaider. However, with the news about her retirement not clear, tennis veteran, Patrick McEnroe made a big admission about the American legend.

Earlier this month, the new inductees into the Tennis Hall of Fame were announced. Maria Sharapova, along with the likes of Kim Clijsters and Bryan Brothers, made it to the coveted list of players in the Hall of Fame. During the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, McEnroe felt that Serena Williams’ legendary sister should also be on that list.

He said, “You know, Roger, Serena, don’t forget about Ash Barty by the way. When you got Murray and now Rafa, will Venus ever retire? You know, her place is pretty secure in the Hall of Fame as well. So, it’s exciting. We’ve had great meetings with the teams of those players and everyone’s excited about keeping the integrity of the Hall of Fame.”

Venus Williams, along with her sister, Serena, created a massive wave on the WTA Tour in the late 1990s. Together, they dominated women’s tennis for years and the elder Williams sister went on to win five Grand Slam singles titles. Additionally, she also won 14 major doubles titles with her younger sister. Thus, it is no secret why McEnroe wants Venus to be in the Hall of Fame.

But apart from Venus, even Serena Williams hasn’t been inducted into the Hall of Fame yet, while the likes of Maria Sharapova have got there. A bizarre criterion prevents Serena Williams from getting into the Hall of Fame.

Why is Serena Williams absent from the Tennis Hall of Fame?

Serena Williams is arguably the best player women’s tennis has ever seen. There will hardly be any prestigious list in women’s tennis that won’t feature Serena’s name. Such was Serena Williams’ influence that she went on to win an astonishing 23 Grand Slam titles during her illustrious career. Additionally, she also won 4 Olympic gold medals apart from other achievements. As a result, many might think that she would be present in the Hall of Fame. However, that isn’t the fact as a strange rule prevents her from making it to that list.

According to the official rules, the player must “Not [have been] a significant factor on the ATP Tour or the WTA within five calendar years prior to the election. (Example: If a player retires anytime in 2020, then the player is eligible for induction in 2025).”

So Serena’s induction into the Hall of Fame would only be possible in 2027, as she retired in 2022. Similarly, Federer will also be eligible to be inducted in the same year.

As far as Sharapova is concerned, while her induction into the Hall of Fame has already been announced, the induction will take place in 2025 as she retired from tennis in 2020. The same rule also prevents Venus Williams from making it to that list as she hasn’t left tennis yet. But the big question remains – when will Venus Williams make her comeback if she is not planning on her retirement? What do you think?