Serena Williams Says She Isn’t Returning To Tennis

Serena Williams addressed renewed speculation about her tennis future on Tuesday (Dec. 2) after her name appeared in the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s registered testing pool. The decorated champion clarified that the development did not signal what many were thinking.

“Omg, y’all, I’m NOT coming back,” the 44-year-old wrote on X in a direct response to the growing rumors. “This wildfire is crazy.”

As ESPN reported, Serena retired following the 2022 US Open and formally notified the ITIA of her decision that year, removing herself from routine anti-doping procedures. According to ITIA protocol, players who declare retirement are exempt from the system unless they request reinstatement. Her name was included on the latest publicly available testing pool list, dated Oct. 6. While her ITIA status still appears as retired, placement in the pool would make her eligible to resume competition after six months of active participation. Athletes in the pool must disclose their daily whereabouts and comply with random testing.

Neither Serena nor her longtime agent, Jill Smoller, commented further on why she reentered the pool.

Meanwhile, Venus Williams returned to the WTA Tour. The 45-year-old resumed competition in July after a 16-month break and later competed at the US Open. Serena praised her sister’s efforts on social media at the time, adding, “P.S. I hope to be like you,” in her message celebrating Venus’ performance.

Throughout the summer, Venus faced repeated questions about a possible Serena comeback. As ESPN added, Venus told Citi Open reporters she missed sharing the tour with her sister but emphasized that any decision would be Serena’s to make. Venus has since accepted a wild card to compete at the Auckland Open in January, a tournament where Serena claimed her final WTA singles title in 2020 after returning from maternity leave.