Serena Williams will launch her comeback next weekend when the defending Fed Cup champion United States hosts The Netherlands in Asheville, N.C.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion is aiming to break 24-time champion Margaret Court's all-time Grand Slam record.
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Hall of Famer Chrissie Evert says 36-year-old Serena can play to age 40, but cautions she will face two obstacles: the mental challenges of competing as a new mom and the increased depth on the WTA Tour.
Evert, who retired from the pro circuit before giving birth to her three sons, told The New York Post's Marc Berman Serena will need to adjust to the demands of juggling motherhood and playing for major titles.
"I couldn’t imagine raising a child and playing," Evert told The Post. "I was 100 percent totally devoted to the child. In this day and age, a woman can do it all. If anybody can do it, Serena can do it. But this year will tell it all."
The former world No. 1 says women's tennis is "better than 15 months ago" and calls Williams "a long shot" to contend for Roland Garros, but suggests the seven-time Wimbledon champion could raise the Rosewater Dish and equal Court's record with a Wimbledon win this summer.
Williams gave birth to her first child, daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian, in September.
When it comes to level of play, Evert believes Williams can be "as good if not better than before."
While she expects Serena to return physically strong, Evert says "it remains to be seen" how she will handle the reponsibilities of motherhood and the demands of attaining her Grand Slam aspirations.
"As far as Serena is concerned, I think she can come back as good if not better than before, for sure. I think she can," Evert told the media during an ESPN conference call to promote the network's Australian Open coverage last month. "I think her decision not to play the Australian Open was a smart one because now she's just going for Grand Slam titles. She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready physically. She wasn't ready mentally."
"Yeah, she's got it. It will all depend on really the motivation," Evert said of Williams. "I think having a child sometimes, well, it changes you forever, but whether it will change the competitiveness of her remains to be seen. She can say she's just as competitive as ever, but there's a lot that goes into having a child and being a mother. It's a 24-hour-a-day job mentally, emotionally and physically. She's never been presented with this situation before. It remains to be seen how she's going to handle it.
"But I think physically with her body, she can get herself into fighting shape and she can be playing as well if not better than before. I think that's a positive."
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