Serena Williams has taken the necessary procedural step for any player considering a competitive return, after the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion re-entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) registered testing pool for the first time since 2022.
Williams, 44, has not played an official match since reaching the third round of the US Open more than three years ago. Although he described his departure at the time as a “stepping away” from the sport rather than a hard retirement, he filed paperwork with the ITIA in September that exempted him from the sport’s stringent whereabouts requirements. However, to return to competition, players must make themselves available for out-of-competition testing for six months before being allowed to enter a competition.
Williams’ name appeared on the agency’s updated testing-pool list on October 6. An ITIA spokesperson confirmed that Williams had requested reinstatement to the pool, although stressed that making the list is not in itself evidence of a comeback.
A representative for Williams did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s questions about his intentions.
ITIA’s registered pool does not include every active player; It is primarily reserved for top-ranked singles competitors, high-level doubles and wheelchair athletes, and professionals returning after a long absence.
Rumors about a possible cameo appearance at the US Open quietly circulated during this year’s tournament, particularly around the mixed doubles event, which has evolved into a two-day showcase filled with star wildcards. But since Williams was classified as retired at the time, she was not eligible for entry.
People familiar with the process have told the Guardian that Williams had explored a withdrawal earlier this autumn. An attempt to rejoin the testing pool was made in August, just before the US Open, possibly with the hope of playing doubles with her sister Venus. Those plans were scrapped once it became clear that the six-month testing window could not be waived, a restriction that prevented Andy Roddick from a similar last-minute couple cameos in 2014.
Venus Williams, 45, never formally retired and therefore avoided similar procedural hurdles. She returned this summer after a 16-month break, winning singles in Washington, pushing 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova to a deciding set in New York and reaching the US Open doubles quarterfinals with Leyla Fernandez. She is expected to resume her program in Auckland early next season.
Serena’s reappearance in the ITIA documents does not guarantee a return, but it does reset her eligibility timeline. If she remains in the pool without interruption, she can enter the tournament by mid-2026. Whether she intends to compete in singles competition again, intends to reunite with Venus in doubles, or simply retains the option of doing so remains uncertain.
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