Serena Williams Addresses Speculation About Potential Tennis Comeback

Serena Williams addressed speculation regarding her tennis future on Tuesday (Dec. 2) after being listed in the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s registered testing pool. The champion clarified that this development did not indicate a return to competition.

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

According to ESPN, Serena retired after the 2022 US Open and formally notified the ITIA of her decision that year, thereby removing herself from routine anti-doping procedures. Per ITIA protocol, players who declare retirement are exempt from the system unless they request reinstatement. Her name appeared on the latest publicly available testing pool list, dated Oct. 6. Although her ITIA status remains as retired, her inclusion in the pool would allow her to resume competition after six months of active participation. Athletes in this pool are required to disclose their daily whereabouts and comply with random testing.

Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy-

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) December 2, 2025

Neither Serena nor her longtime agent, Jill Smoller, provided further comments on the reason for her reentry into the pool.

In the meantime, Venus Williams has returned to the WTA Tour. The 45-year-old resumed competition in July after a 16-month absence and later participated in the US Open. Serena praised her sister’s efforts on social media during this time, expressing, “P.S. I hope to be like you,” in her message celebrating Venus’ performance.

Throughout the summer, Venus faced questions regarding a potential Serena comeback. As ESPN noted, Venus told reporters at the Citi Open that she missed sharing the tour with her sister but emphasized that any decision regarding a return would be made by Serena. 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 following her maternity leave.