Serena Williams is stepping behind the camera once again as she signs on to executive produce Carrie Soto Is Back, a Netflix drama based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel about a driven tennis icon chasing one final comeback.
The streaming giant has picked up the adaptation for development, Deadline reported, with Williams helping steer the project’s creative direction.
The story centers on Carrie Soto, a tennis champion whose ruthless pursuit of victory earned her titles but few allies.
After retiring as the sport’s most decorated player, Soto returns to the court at 37 to protect her legacy when her record is threatened—this time with her father back as her coach.
Though the character isn’t modeled on Williams, Reid has openly credited the Williams sisters as a major inspiration behind the novel.
“My incredible respect for the Williams sisters is part of what makes me interested in tennis,” Reid said in a 2022 interview. “I wouldn’t write a book about tennis without the influence of just the absolute glory that has been their journey, but also specifically Serena’s quest to get as many Grand Slam titles as she has managed to do.”
Williams is no stranger to producing.
She recently led the 2024 docuseries In the Arena: Serena Williams and previously teamed up with her sister Venus to executive produce King Richard, the 2021 Oscar-winning film chronicling their early years under the guidance of their father and coach, Richard Williams.
Netflix has not yet announced a release date for Carrie Soto Is Back.