Serena Williams Dismisses Return to professional Tennis Despite Anti-Doping Registration
Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand slam champion, has firmly denied any plans to return to professional tennis, clarifying speculation sparked by her recent enrollment in the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA)’s anti-doping control and tracing program in October. The ITIA program requires six months of participation for any retired player intending to re-enter competition.
News of the registration, initially reported by specialized media, fueled rumors of a potential comeback, possibly alongside her sister venus Williams, who remains active on the WTA Tour. However, Williams quickly addressed the speculation on her Instagram Stories, stating, “Oh my god, I’m not going back. This is crazy,” accompanied by laughing and denial emojis.
Sources close to Williams indicate her ITIA registration is a precautionary administrative step, allowing for potential participation in exhibition events or a farewell event with Venus in 2026, without a formal return to the tour. Completing the six-month requirement by April 2026 would allow her to accept such invitations without further procedures.
Williams initially stepped away from professional play after the 2022 US Open, where she lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanović. At the time, she described her departure as an “evolution” towards other ventures, including her business interests and role as a mother of two daughters.
Venus Williams, 45, continues to compete, having played four tournaments in 2025, most recently in Indian Wells in March. She has previously expressed a desire to share a final match with Serena, ideally at Wimbledon or the US Open.
Registration in the ITIA program is a common practice for retired tennis legends who wish to remain eligible for exhibition matches or special events, following a similar path taken by Roger Federer, Kim Clijsters, and Caroline Wozniacki. As of now, no tournament has confirmed offering Serena Williams a wild card for the 2026 season.
The WTA has not released a statement on the matter, and Williams reiterated on Thursday that her competitive career concluded in 2022. Throughout her illustrious career, Serena Williams achieved 23 Grand Slam singles titles (an open Era record), 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with Venus, four Olympic gold medals, and held the world number 1 ranking for 319 weeks.
