Serena Williams wants everyone to know that she is not coming back to tennis anytime soon. At least, that’s what she posted on social media after speculation heated up on Tuesday when it was reported that the 23-time major champion was back in the drug testing pool.
Williams re-entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s registered testing pool, a requirement before returning to the sport, back in October, a spokesperson for the ITIA confirmed to The Athletic.
“I do not know if this means she is coming back, or just giving herself the option,” the spokesperson said via The Athletic. “All I can say is she’s back in the pool and therefore subject to whereabouts.”
But Williams posted on X shortly after to dispel any rumors or speculation.
When Williams, 44, announced she was stepping away from tennis in August 2022 in the form of a first-person essay in Vogue, she steered clear of using the word “retirement,” saying “It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me.” Williams instead called it an “evolution” away from tennis and towards things that were more important to her at that time.
Williams recently posted on social media playing tennis again with her youngest daughter.
If Williams was serious about returning to the sport, she would have to be available for testing for at least six months before returning to competition. Given her name was included in an October pool of players, that would mean Williams could return in April 2026, which could give her time to prepare for the French Open in May and Wimbledon in June. She won the French Open three times in her career and Wimbledon an astounding seven times.
Williams revolutionized women’s tennis when she began her professional career at 14 years old in 1995. Between her and her sister, Venus, the pair became amongst the most famous athletes in the world. Her 23 Grand Slam titles is only bested by Margaret Court who has 24, a record that Williams has expressed interest in breaking in the past.
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