The Served podcast, hosted by her friend Andy Roddick, suggested that she intends to play alongside Victoria Mboko, the Canadian who has climbed to No 9 in the world at the age of 19.
The news is a huge fillip for the tennis tour, and will add to the feeling that the women’s game is offering greater drama and intrigue than the men’s in this Jannik Sinner-dominated era.
It should also raise the profile of the HSBC Championships, the new Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 500-point event which made its debut at Queen’s Club last summer, with Germany’s Tatjana Maria the unexpected winner.
More to follow….