don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she’s coming back. Where and how, singles, doubles, we don’t know, and if I’m in her position, I would hide it too.“
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, hasn’t competed since a third-round loss at the 2022 US Open.
But the 44-year-old mother of two re-entered the anti-doping testing pool in December and regained eligibility.
Initially she denied she planned a comeback, but in January she declined to rule it out, telling NBC’s “Today” show: “That’s not a yes or a no. I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens.”
Djokovic said players were buzzing at the prospect.
“Everybody is excited, and it’s definitely something that’s very highly anticipated,” he said.
Williams’s sister Venus, 45, accepted a wild card into the Indian Wells singles draw and will face France’s Diane Parry in the first round.
Djokovic suggested Serena could return for Wimbledon – where she is a seven-time singles champion.
“I pick that one as well as her comeback,” he said. “I don’t know. I think she might maybe play a doubles tournament or two with Venus. That would be nice to see, just from my point of view and tennis fans’, for sure.
“She’s one of the greatest athletes, really. It would be great to have her back too.“