Serena Williams shuts down talk of a tennis comeback

Serena Williams has thrown cold water on the idea that she may be preparing to return to tennis, writing on social media on Tuesday that she “will NOT be returning” after an International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) official said the 23-time Grand Slam champion had registered with the sport's drug-testing body.

This is the first step that a player looking to come out of retirement will need.

Williams, 44, one of the world's greatest players, has not competed since bidding farewell to the 2022 US Open. At the time, Williams said she did not want to use the word “retirement” and instead stated that she was “evolving” from tennis.

It was unclear when or where—or even if—Williams would actually play again, and she later wrote: “OMG I am NOT coming back. This forest fire is crazy.”

Her agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, United States Tennis Association spokesman Brendan McIntyre said: “We understand that Serena has submitted the necessary paperwork to the International Tennis Integrity Agency to re-enter the International Registered Testing Pool. If Serena decides to return and compete at a professional level alongside her fans, we will enthusiastically welcome the return of one of the greatest champions in the history of our sport.”

Williams was one of the biggest stars in any sport, a dominant talent on the court, but one who nonetheless took the spotlight away from him. If she were to eventually return to tour, it would certainly be an important storyline.

Her decision to return her name to the ITIA testing pool, which oversees anti-doping and anti-corruption efforts, was first reported by Bounces.

“She is on the list and back in the testing pool,” ITIA spokesman Adrian Bassett wrote to the AP on Tuesday.

Athletes returning for testing are required to provide their whereabouts information – details of their whereabouts when not at an official event and the times they are available to provide samples. Anyone who retires from a sport while on the list and then returns must be available for testing for six months before being allowed to return to competition.

Williams' older sister, Venus, returned to competition this July at age 45, nearly a year and a half after the tour; she never announced her retirement. At the US Open, Venus became the oldest player to compete in singles at an American Grand Slam since 1981.

When Venus, a seven-time major singles champion, returned to the DC Open, she expressed her desire for Serena to join her again on tour. As a pair, they won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.

“I tell my team all the time: the only thing that could make things better is if she were here. Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her,” Venus said at the time when asked about a social media video of Serena swinging a racquet. “But if she comes back, I'm sure she'll let you all know.”