When she stepped away from tennis at the 2022 US Open, Serena Williams told fans she wasn’t retiring but rather “evolving” away from tennis. However, the rumblings about the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s return to the sport she dominated for years are growing.
All thanks to her.
On Monday (Feb. 9), Williams was listed as eligible to return by the sport’s drug testing organization as early as Feb. 22. Williams entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) pool last October after entering paperwork signaling a retirement on Sept. 22, 2022.
Despite being listed on the eligibility list, Williams has not given a clear indication of whether she will return to the sport. When it was revealed she re-entered the testing pool last December, Williams immediately shot down rumors on social media.
“Omg yall I’m NOT coming back,” she wrote on X at the time. “This wildfire is crazy.”
When news broke about Serena’s possible return, U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Brendan McIntyre said: “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.”
Widely considered the greatest tennis player of all-time, Williams set numerous records during her time on the court, including winning a Grand Slam title in three different decades, winning the most prize money in WTA history ($94 million) and being ranked at No. 1 for 186 consecutive weeks, a distinction she shares with fellow tennis great Steffi Graf. Additionally, Williams, when paired with her older sister Venus Williams, has never lost a Grand Slam or Olympic final, going a perfect 14-0 in Grand Slams and 3-0 in the Olympics.
Plus, big sister definitely wants Serena back on the court.
“I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here. Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her,” Venus Williams said last July. “But if she comes back, I’m sure she’ll let y’all know.”
Even in her absence, she’s remained a guide for the current generation of Back tennis stars, speaking life into Coco Gauff after Gauff smashed her racket following a loss at this year’s Australian Open.
After husband Alexis Ohanian said he “loved” the energy from Gauff, Williams added on with her own flair: “Well said. @alexisohanian Passion. Caring. Matters. Nothing wrong with hating to lose. Now Coco when you want I can show you how to demolish in one swipe… Serena style.”
