The 44-year-old Serena Williams, celebrated as one of tennis’ all-time greats, hasn’t played since her emotional farewell at the 2022 US Open. Though she insisted she wasn’t “retiring” and was simply “evolving” away from the sport, renewed buzz about a possible comeback has followed her ever since. However, now, the 23-time Grand Slam icon has poured cold water on the speculation, signaling that a return to competitive tennis isn’t on her horizon.

Serena Williams is pushing back against growing talk of a tennis comeback. She denied the speculation in a direct post on X. 

“Omg, y’all, I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy,” she wrote on Tuesday.

The rumors started after she filed paperwork with the ITIA in September. This filing exempted her from strict whereabouts rules. The move caught fans’ attention and sparked new theories about a return.

Under ITIA and WADA rules, any player who wants to compete again must follow out-of-competition testing rules. They must be available for testing for six months before entering an event. Williams’s name appeared on the agency’s testing-pool list dated 6 October.

An ITIA spokesperson confirmed that she had asked for reinstatement. The spokesperson also stressed that being on the list does not prove an athlete is preparing for competition. It only shows they are meeting eligibility requirements if they choose to return.

The spokesperson added more detail. “Serena Williams is back on the Registered Testing Pool list,” they said. They explained that athletes returning from retirement “need to make themselves available for testing for six months before they can compete again,” as required under WADA rules. 

The registered pool is selective. It includes top singles players, notable doubles and wheelchair athletes, and players coming back after long breaks.

Some fans believed the comeback rumors because of Williams’s own comments in 2022. At the time, she hinted that a return was possible. “The chances of me returning are very high,” she told. “You can come to my house and [see], I have a court.”

Adrian Bassett, another ITIA spokesperson, also weighed in. He told reporters on Dec. 2 that entering the testing pool does not confirm anything. He said he does “not know if this mean she is coming back” or if she is “just giving herself the option.” He added, “All I can say is she’s back in the pool and therefore subject to whereabouts.”

And perhaps, this is also not the first time comeback rumors have followed the tennis icon this year.

Serena Williams sparked speculation of a US Open return in 2025

Rumors of a Serena Williams cameo at the US Open circulated quietly this year. Many focused on the mixed doubles event, which has become a two-day showcase filled with star wildcards. But Williams was still listed as retired, so she was not eligible to enter.

People close to the process believe she considered a return earlier than this autumn. One attempt to rejoin the testing pool happened in August. This was just before the US Open.

The timing suggested she hoped to play doubles with her sister, Venus. But those plans collapsed once the strict six-month testing rule became clear. This same rule once stopped Andy Roddick from making a late doubles cameo in 2014.

Venus Williams did not face the same problem. She never formally retired and avoided the procedural barriers. This summer, she returned after a 16-month break and earned a singles win in Washington.

She also pushed No. 11 seed Karolína Muchová to a deciding set in New York. In doubles, she reached the US Open quarter-finals with Leylah Fernandez. Venus is expected to resume her schedule in Auckland early next season.

Serena’s name appearing again in ITIA documents does not confirm a comeback. It only resets her eligibility timeline.

If she stays in the testing pool without interruption, she could compete as early as mid-2026.

Whether she wants to play singles again, reunite with Venus in doubles, or simply keep her options open is still unknown.