Hours after the news broke on Tuesday that Serena Williams had reentered the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) registered testing pool, the 23-time major champion disputed that it meant she was planning a return to the sport.
“Omg yall I’m NOT coming back,” Williams, 44, posted on X. “This wildfire is crazy”
Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy-
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) December 2, 2025
Williams, widely considered the greatest women’s player in the sport’s history, retired from tennis in 2022 following the US Open. She has since reportedly asked to be reinstated and her name is included in the most recent list of players in the testing pool, dated Oct. 6. The Athletic first reported Williams’ inclusion on the list on Tuesday.
Jill Smoller, Williams’ longtime agent, has not yet responded to ESPN’s request for comment.
Per protocol, Williams officially declared herself retired with the ITIA in 2022, which meant she would no longer be subjected to routine drug testing. Her name remains listed on the site as retired, but she would be eligible to return to competition and be listed as a reinstated player following six months of being an active player in the pool. Those players — which includes most in the top 100 — must provide their whereabouts at any given time, every day, and participate in random testing. It is unclear why Williams would subject herself to such strict monitoring if she was not considering playing again.
Williams’ older sister Venus, 45, made her return to the WTA Tour in July following a 16-month absence. After a memorable first-round exit at the US Open, Serena expressed her pride and admiration for her sister on social media and added “P.S. I hope to be like you,” at the end of her post. Venus was asked repeatedly about a potential Serena return throughout the summer, and she admitted she never wanted her to retire.
“I mean, 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 said at the Citi Open in July. “But if she comes back, I’m sure she’ll let y’all know.”
Venus recently accepted a wild card to play at the Auckland Open in January. Serena won the last WTA title of her career, and the only one after returning from maternity leave, at the tournament in 2020.
