Sporticast: Why is Serena Williams Coming Back to Pro Tennis?

On the 557th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including Serena Williams’ return to professional tennis. 

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion announced Monday that she would play in a doubles event next week with young Canadian Victoria Mboko, her first official match in almost four years. The comeback, which the 44-year-old Williams publicly denied just a few months ago, comes amid a push in recent health sponsorships. Williams has made more than $500 million in her career, according to Sportico estimates. 

They go from there to the French Open, where a string of upsets on the men’s side has created a rare (and unwanted) opportunity for the sport’s powers to assess how popular men’s tennis is without the support of its biggest stars. 

Next the hosts talk about the NBA Finals, set to start later this week. The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs present an interesting dichotomy. One is among the most valuable teams in the league; the other ranks among the bottom third. One is full of veterans; the other is led by younger stars. One swept its way to the finals, the other played beat the defending champs in a seven-game series. 

The hosts also talk about the Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights. They break down two storylines in particular. 1) A win would go a long way toward burnishing the reputation of Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, who has been labeled cheap by many in the NBA after cost-cutting measures he put in place when he took over the Portland Trail Blazers. 2) Regardless of who wins, this will continue a string of teams from warm weather cities capturing an NHL championship.

They close by talking about ESPN, which is televising both series, plus the upcoming Super Bowl next February.

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