Serena Williams will officially be eligible to return to professional tennis from February 22 — but whether the American great actually does remains the sport’s biggest unanswered question.
The clearest signal yet that a comeback is at least possible arrived quietly on Monday morning.
Williams’ name appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reinstatements list, confirming that she will have completed the required six-month period in the anti-doping testing pool. In practical terms, that means Serena can legally enter sanctioned tournaments from that date onward.
For the first time since September 2022, Serena Williams is no longer considered retired in the eyes of tennis authorities.
Yet, despite the formal eligibility, Williams
herself has made no announcement about a return.
Under tennis regulations, retired players must make themselves available for out-of-competition drug testing for at least six months before re-entering competition. Williams quietly rejoined the testing pool in December, fuelling speculation that she was at least keeping her options open. While she downplayed the move at the time, her appearance on the ITIA list has ensured the comeback conversation refuses to die.
Williams, now 44 and a mother of two, has not competed since her third-round exit at the 2022 US Open — an emotional farewell tournament where she famously described her departure not as retirement, but as “evolving away from tennis.”
Speaking on The Today Show earlier last month, Serena was non-committal when asked directly about a comeback.
“I don’t know. I’m just going to see what happens,” she said.
Pressed on why she had rejoined the anti-doping programme, Williams deflected again. “Did I re-enter? I didn’t know if I was out,” she said. “Listen, I can’t discuss this.”
What is not up for debate is her legacy. Serena owns 23 Grand Slam singles titles — the most by any woman in the Open era — spanning seven Australian Opens, three French Opens, seven Wimbledons and six US Opens.
Alongside sister Venus, still active on the WTA Tour, she also captured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.
Eligible or not, the decision now rests entirely with Serena.
