Tennis great Serena Williams has again sparked debate over a possible return to professional tennis after declining to rule out a comeback during an appearance on a television show on Wednesday.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and mother of two, has not played competitively since her third-round defeat at the 2022 US Open.
However, speculation intensified after she re-entered the tennis anti-doping testing pool in December, a move that typically precedes a return to competition.
Asked directly about a comeback, the 44-year-old struck a cautious tone. “I’m just having fun and enjoying my life right now,” she said.
When pressed to clarify whether that meant yes or no, Williams added: “That’s not a yes or a no. I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens.”
She also declined to explain her decision to rejoin the drug-testing programme. “Did I re-enter? I didn’t know if I was out. Listen, I can’t discuss this,” she said.
The renewed focus on Williams comes as her sister, Venus, continues her own return to the sport. Venus, 45, featured at the Australian Open after receiving a wildcard but exited in the first round. She had earlier competed in Auckland and Hobart after resuming tournament play in July following nearly two years away.
Former world number one Jim Courier, now a television commentator, said Williams’ presence in the anti-doping pool strongly suggests competitive intentions, given the demands it places on athletes.
“No person that doesn’t have intentions to play professional tennis is going to put themselves in that list, especially someone who has as much experience doing it as Serena Williams,” Courier said, noting that players must provide detailed whereabouts information and complete six months of testing before being eligible to compete.
“Serena denied in December that she’s coming back, but I think unless she gets injured there is no doubt she’s going to play somewhere at some point,” he added.
“Whether that’s mixed doubles at the US Open, doubles with her sister somewhere, or singles, only she knows. But there’s no other way to interpret that.”
