Serena Williams shuts down tennis comeback frenzy with 10-word post after rejoining testing pool

Tennis legend Serena Williams has denied a potential return to the sport at 44 with a 10-word message on X (formerly Twitter) after rumours of her comeback created a storm on Tuesday. The rumours began when the International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed that Williams had re-entered the tennis anti-doping testing pool.

The anti-doping testing pool requires athletes to provide their whereabouts to doping authorities for every day of the year and to undergo random testing. Given the logistics and commitment involved, only active athletes enroll themselves in the anti-doping testing pool.

Williams, who has not competed since the 2022 US Open, would be able to return to competitive tennis after being available for out-of-competition testing for a minimum of six months.

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Naturally, the 23-time Grand Slam winner rejoining the testing pool raised hopes that Williams was planning a return to the sport.

Serena Williams: ‘I’m NOT coming back’

But she took to X on Tuesday to deny the rumours. “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy,” she wrote.

Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy-

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) December 2, 2025

However, there are still a few fans who hope Williams will return to tennis sometime in the future, as she never officially retired from the sport.

Before the 2022 US Open, Williams, in a Vogue article, had said that she was “evolving away from tennis” and that she doesn’t like to use the word “retiring.”

Her recent Instagram photos of playing tennis with her youngest daughter, Adira River, last week have added more fuel to the fire.

For the unversed, Williams is only one major title away from the all-time record in women’s tennis. Former Australian Margaret Court holds the record with 24 Grand Slam titles.

It has also been felt that she could be making a comeback in women’s doubles with her sister, Venus Williams. Serena and Venus won 14 Grand Slams and three Olympic gold medals together.