Amid buzz around Serena Williams’ return, why was Wilson quiet?
A blank racquet and social media silence sparked questions about one of tennis's longest-running partnerships.
This post is a collaboration between Hard Court and Bounces at the intersection of two of our respective interests: tennis sponsorships and Serena Williams’ return to professional tennis.
When Serena Williams posted her official comeback announcement video on June 1st, it was more of a teaser than anything. The Nike-made clip of her buzzing phone interrupting a practice session was only 17 seconds long, with the last five seconds featuring white text and logos on a black screen. That sparsity of detail, though, led us to some light Zaprudering of what few things were on screen.
On closer inspection, one detail jumped out: the racquet Williams was using in the clip looked generic, lacking the iconic stencil “W” of Wilson on its strings which had been a constant in her time on court. Wilson had been Serena’s racquet sponsor since the 1990s, the oldest and most enduring partnership of her decades-long professional career.
In the days that followed, Nike—which first outfitted Serena in 2004—rolled out more videos, a photoshoot, and an out-of-home advertising campaign. Wilson, by contrast, remained conspicuously quiet—not even posting on Instagram to mark the return of one of tennis’s greatest and most commercially valuable players, one who had been a face of their brand for decades. It left an obvious question: was Serena still working with the heritage racquet brand that had been in her hands for almost her entire professional career? Or was she planning to switch to another racquet manufacturer?
Venus and Serena both signed their first racquet contracts with Wilson in the 1990s. In a promotional clip released by Wilson in 2020, Serena described her first memories of using a Wilson racquet, tracing her allegiance back to the 1980s. “I must’ve been, like, 6,” she said. “I was a baby. I’ve always been using Wilson, though.”
After nearly three decades of history-making together, the relationship’s future suddenly looked unclear. So what’s going on between the brand and the superstar? After talking with both sides, a clearer picture emerged.
The initial video omission wasn’t a matter of brand conflict—previous Nike campaigns have featured players’ racquet sponsors, including a Wilson racquet in the Sabalenka vs. Everything campaign that the company ran last year. “Historically, we wouldn’t prohibit an athlete from showcasing their equipment if it’s something we don’t also make,” said a longtime Nike employee.
When she made her much-anticipated debut back on court at Queen’s Club, playing doubles with Vicky Mboko, Serena was using her signature tennis racquet, the Wilson Blade SW102 Autograph. The moment got widespread media coverage, but Wilson—a brand that’s highly active on social media—remained quiet. This silence continued through Williams’ second tournament a week later in Berlin.
After speaking with sources on both sides of the relationship, it appears the two parties have yet to finalize a contract for this once-unexpected continuation of Serena’s career.
It’s not unusual that a contract would have lapsed during the four years that she was an inactive player. But with whispers of her coming back to the sport since late 2025, it’s a bit surprising that this deal has remained unresolved for weeks into Williams’ comeback—and still pends into her spotlight return at Wimbledon next week.
“We’re always in conversations,” a member of Serena’s team said of her status with Wilson. “Nothing to see here, yet.”
“Her comeback was unexpected, even for us,” explained one Wilson employee familiar with contract discussions. “She is still a Wilson athlete and we have some exciting things in the works.” Another source teased a special Williams-branded line of racquets and bags that will launch around the US Open.
When reached for comment, a Wilson spokesperson told Hard Court: “Serena plays Wilson, and we’re actively working on what’s next. Serena has been integral to the Wilson brand, and we’ve been honored to be in her hands for every milestone on court.” They declined to comment on upcoming product releases.
Pressed on why an announcement had yet to materialize, the first Wilson employee said only, “There is an adjustment since she wasn’t playing, so it’s a different contract now that she is active again.”
Still, the lag time seems unusual for a moment of this magnitude. Every day without a formal announcement is a missed opportunity for Wilson to capitalize on renewed interest in Serena and reinforce its association with one of the sports world’s biggest stars.
Few athletes understand the value of brand storytelling and product placement as instinctively as she does, having spent decades turning routine public appearances into extensions of her commercial partnerships. She became infamous for reliably plopping her big green Gatorade bottle onto press conference podiums. Whenever she made media appearances that had anything to do with tennis—even for silly things like hitting balls through a delicatessen’s window on David Letterman—Serena always made sure it was a Wilson racquet in her hand.
At the same time, Wilson wasn’t the only brand scrambling to respond. Despite months of speculation that Serena might return, her repeated public denials—and, sources say, a degree of secrecy with longtime sponsors behind the scenes—left several brands with little time to prepare.
Even Nike, according to sources familiar with the rollout, was forced to rely on existing apparel silhouettes—a few in updated colorways—rather than developing the kind of fully custom on-court kits that had become synonymous with Williams throughout her career.
As brands play catch up, Williams herself still also has to prove her own readiness on the court. After accepting a last-minute wildcard into the singles draw at Wimbledon, Williams will begin her much-discussed comeback on Tuesday afternoon, facing Maya Joint in the first round, presumably on Centre Court. Then it will be time for her racquet—which will still be emblazoned with that famous “W” despite the lack of a formal deal—to do the talking.
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