Serena Williams, a former world number one professional tennis player and 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, has publicly declined to categorically rule out a return to competitive tennis. During a televised interview on Today, Ms. Williams, aged 44 and a mother of two, stated: “I don’t know. I’m just going to see what happens,” when asked whether she intends to resume professional play.
Ms. Williams has not competed since her third-round loss at the 2022 US Open. However, she re-entered the tennis anti-doping testing pool in December 2025, a requirement for athletes seeking to compete, although she denied at the time that this indicated an imminent return to competition. She declined to comment on her reasons for re-entering the testing program.
The anti-doping testing protocol requires registered athletes to provide detailed whereabouts information and to complete testing over a six-month period prior to eligibility for official competition. Commentators, including former world number one Jim Courier, have noted that inclusion in the testing pool is generally indicative of intent to compete professionally.
Ms. Williams’ sister, Venus Williams, aged 45, recently participated in the Australian Open and other professional tournaments after returning from a near two-year hiatus. Together, the Williams sisters hold a record of 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.#newsafro_
