Serena Williams threw cold water on the idea that she might be preparing to return to tennis.
According to Associated Press, writing on social media Tuesday the American tennis legend said that she is “NOT coming back,” after a spokesman for the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said the 23-time Grand Slam champion had registered with the sport’s drug-testing body.
That is the first step that would be required by a player seeking to come out of retirement.
The 44-year-old Williams, one of the greats of the game, has not competed since bidding farewell at the 2022 US Open. At the time, Williams said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis.
It was not clear when or where, or even if, Williams actually will play again, and she later posted, “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.”
In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, US Tennis Association spokesman Brendan McIntyre said, “We are aware that Serena has filed the necessary paperwork with the International Tennis Integrity Agency to reenter the International Registered Testing Pool."
"If Serena decides to return and compete at the professional level, together with her fans, we will enthusiastically welcome the return of one of the greatest champions in the history of our sport," it added.
Williams was one of the biggest stars of any sport, a dominant talent on the court and still someone drawing attention away from it. If she were to end up returning to the tour, it would be a significant story line, of course.
Williams’ older sister, Venus, returned to competition this July at age 45 after nearly one and a half year away from the tour, she never had announced her retirement. At the US Open, Venus became the oldest player to play singles at the American Grand Slam tournament since 1981.
