Serena Williams has cleared a major procedural hurdle on the path to a potential return to professional tennis, but whether the 23-time Grand Slam champion will actually step back onto the WTA Tour remains an open question.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Monday that Williams has been listed as eligible to return to competition from February 22, having completed the mandatory six-month period in the sport’s anti-doping testing pool. The update, first reported by Bounces, means Williams has fulfilled the formal requirements for reinstatement following her departure from the game in 2022.
What it does not mean- at least not yet- is that a comeback is confirmed.
Serena Williams’s Comeback Remains Uncertain
Williams, now 44, has not competed since her emotional farewell at the 2022 US Open, where she stopped short of calling her exit a retirement and instead described it as “evolving away from tennis.” Since then, speculation about a return has surfaced repeatedly, fuelled by sightings of her practicing, her sister Venus’s continued presence on tour, and her quiet re-entry into the drug-testing programme late last year.
When news first emerged that Williams had rejoined the testing pool, she forcefully dismissed the idea of a comeback. “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back,” she wrote on social media. “This wildfire is crazy.”
Yet the completion of the six-month testing requirement- a step that is only necessary for athletes intending to keep the option of competition open- has ensured that questions refuse to fade.
Under ITIA regulations, any retired player wishing to return must make themselves available for out-of-competition testing for at least six months, including providing detailed daily whereabouts information. Williams initially registered with the ITIA in August, and her appearance this week on the organisation’s reinstatement list confirms that she is now free to enter sanctioned tournaments in singles, doubles or mixed doubles should she choose to do so.
Neither Williams nor her representatives have offered clarification since the update. Her agent did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the WTA Tour declined to speculate.
“If Serena decides to return and compete at the professional level,” U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Brendan McIntyre said previously, “together with her fans, we will enthusiastically welcome the return of one of the greatest champions in the history of our sport.”
The timing of Williams’ eligibility would allow her, in theory, to enter the prestigious Indian Wells tournament, which begins in early March, or the Miami Open later that month. A return at a Grand Slam- Roland Garros, Wimbledon or the US Open- would also be possible via wildcard, should she opt to resume competition later in the season.
Another intriguing possibility is a doubles reunion with her sister Venus. The Williams sisters won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together and three Olympic gold medals, forming one of the most successful partnerships in tennis history. Venus, 45, returned to competitive tennis last July after nearly 18 months away and became the oldest woman to play singles at the US Open since 1981.V
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During her comeback, Venus openly expressed hope that Serena might one day join her again on tour. “The only thing that would make this better is if she was here,” she said at the DC Open. “We always did everything together, so of course I miss her.”
Serena Williams herself has remained characteristically elusive. Appearing on The Today Show in January, she refused to commit either way when asked about a comeback. “I don’t know. I’m just going to see what happens,” she said, before declining to discuss her status in the testing pool.
What is beyond dispute is her place in tennis history. Williams owns 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any woman in the Open era, with seven Australian Opens, three French Opens, seven Wimbledons and six US Opens. Only Margaret Court and Novak Djokovic have won more major singles titles overall.
For now, the ITIA listing confirms only one thing: for the first time since September 2022, Serena Williams is no longer considered retired in the eyes of tennis authorities. Whether that technical eligibility turns into one final chapter on court is a decision only she can make.
