It could have been a historic moment if 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams had decided to return to her first love, tennis.
But the 44-year-old has made it abundantly clear that she will not be staging a comeback anytime soon.
Shutting down the rumors, she posted on Twitter: “Omg y’all, I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.”
Speculation about her return surfaced after her name appeared in recent documents from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), suggesting she had re-registered with the sport’s drug-testing body.
Although Williams prefers not to use the word “retired,” she has consistently said she is “evolving away” from professional tennis a transition she began at the 2022 US Open.
Her sister Venus Williams made her own return to the court after a 16-month break, competing at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C., on July 21. She marked her comeback with a victory over Peyton Stearns.
Speaking to Express Sport, Serena Williams’ coach of 10 years, Patrick Mouratoglou, revealed that the former world No. 1 is keeping her options open.
“Maybe it’s something that has crossed her mind, because she’s in incredible shape, as everyone has seen.”
“She looks like she’s back to being a top athlete after being a mother. So maybe it crossed her mind, and maybe she opened that opportunity. But to open an opportunity and to do it, there is, I think, a long way to go, so I guess we’ll know in a few months if happening.”
As the tennis world waits, the prospect of a Williams sisters reunion in 2026 would be one of the sport’s greatest comebacks. Serena and Venus share 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.
