Tennis legend Serena Williams has emphatically dismissed speculation about her potential return to professional tennis, despite her recent registration with the sport’s drug-testing program. The 44-year-old athlete took to social media platform X to address growing rumors, stating unequivocally: “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.”
Williams, who holds 23 Grand Slam singles titles, has been absent from competitive play since her third-round exit at the 2022 US Open. That defeat left her just one major championship short of matching the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles, currently shared by Margaret Court in women’s tennis and Novak Djokovic in men’s tennis.
Confirmation of Williams’ registration with the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s Registered Testing Pool had sparked widespread speculation about a potential comeback. Adrian Bassett, an ITIA spokesperson, verified Williams’ enrollment but noted the agency had “no other information” regarding her intentions.
The athletic icon had previously characterized her departure from professional tennis as an “evolution” rather than retirement following her Flushing Meadows defeat three years ago. Under tennis regulations, players returning to competition must complete six months of drug testing and provide detailed information about their availability for sample collection.
The speculation gained additional traction due to the recent return of Williams’ sister Venus to the WTA tour. The 45-year-old Venus Williams came back to competitive tennis in July after nearly two years away, expressing hope that her sister might eventually join her. The Williams sisters have historically dominated as a doubles partnership, capturing 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals together.
Venus had previously expressed sentimental attachment to their shared career, stating during her DC Open return: “I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here. We always did everything together, so of course I miss her.”