Serena's Australian Open appearance in doubt

Super excited to announce the keynote speaker lineup at Inside ETFs 2018: Headliners include Mohamed El-Erian, Gen. Stanley McCrystal, Serena Williams, Quincy Jones, The Daily Show, and Tim Buckley in his 1st speech as Vanguard's CEO (1/2). @InsideETFs
— Matt Hougan (@Matt_Hougan) December 15, 2017

Defending Australian Open champion Serena Williams’ comeback in Melbourne is in further question as the new mother was announced as a keynote speaker at the ETFs conference scheduled in Florida during Week 2 of the Slam.

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Serena Williams announced as a speaker at conference in Florida which runs January 21-24…smack in the middle of the #AusOpen, which she’s entered. Hmm.

(h/t @JustShers) https://t.co/ck8BByoHVw
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) December 16, 2017

Williams, who has not played since winning her 23rd Slam in January, is on the entry list for the Australian Open, but has been quiet as to whether she will be ready to comeback after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Jr. in September.

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Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has said he is expecting to see Williams back in action in Melbourne Park.

"She's got her visa, she's entered, she's practicing and she's probably just got to find a bit more space for a bigger entourage,” Tiley said.

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With the tournament just a month away, it is still unclear as to whether the sport’s biggest star and biggest question mark going into 2018 will be Down Under.

Follow Thomas on Twitter @thomas_cluck917.