Why Tennis Fans Think Serena Williams is Plotting a Comeback Over 3 Years Since Her Last Match

UPDATE 12/2/25, 4:17 p.m. ET: Serena Williams seemingly put talk of a comeback to rest on Tuesday afternoon, December 2, writing via X, “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy-”

Original story below:

Serena Williams has not confirmed that she plans to return to professional tennis, but the 23-time Grand Slam champion has taken a step in that direction.

Williams, 44, caught fans’ attention on Tuesday, December 2, when The Athletic reported that she has re-entered the sport’s International Registered Testing Pool. Her name appears on the list of players in that pool, last updated October 6, the outlet reported.

“She has notified us that she wants to be reinstated into the testing pool,” ITIA spokesperson Adrian Bassett told The Athletic in a text message Tuesday. “I do not know if this means she is coming back, or just giving herself the option. All I can say is she’s back in the pool and therefore subject to whereabouts.”

Williams last played in the 2022 U.S. Open, where, at age 37, she became the oldest woman in the Open Era to defeat a top-three ranked player when she took down world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit. She lost in the next round to Ajla Tomljanovic and has not competed since.

She did not say at the time that she was retiring, instead announcing she planned to “evolve away” from tennis.

The International Registered Testing Pool is made of 100 top men’s and women’s players, as well as those hoping to return to competitive tennis after a hiatus. Players in the pool are required to provide their whereabouts at a given time every day, and anyone re-entering the pool must be in it for six months before playing in a tournament.

Tennis insider Ben Rothenberg reports that Williams tried to come back even sooner.

“Serena had first sought reinstatement this past August, weeks before this year’s U.S. Open — likely to play doubles in New York with her sister, Venus,” he wrote for Bounces on Tuesday. “But such short-notice spontaneous comebacks by officially retired players are not permitted.”

While the exact date that Serena re-entered the field is unknown, she will be able to return to action sometime in spring 2026.

The news comes one day after Porter Magazine published an interview with Serena in which she admitted that she struggled to adjust to life in retirement.

“No matter how prepared you are to retire, and particularly from doing something every day at such a high level, it’s hard,” she said. “I really prepped myself the best way I could, but it’s something that’s still a little difficult.”

Serena has managed to keep herself busy over the last three years. In addition to numerous business opportunities, she is also the mother to daughters Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2, whom she shares with her husband, Alexis Ohanian.

“With Olympia, I didn’t leave her until she was five! That may have been a little extreme. And it’s not recommended!” she said. “But I’ve just always wanted to be a mom.”

“I want to be around my family. I’m cooking every night that I’m home. I’m home 29 nights a month,” she added. ”Sometimes I’ll fly to New York, do what I need to do, fly back and be home in time for dinner.”

Serena’s Instagram account is full of images showing her in full mom mode, including a carousel she uploaded November 24, showing her on the tennis court with Adira.

“This is me sharing my passion for tennis with my youngest daughter,” she wrote in the caption.