Serena is confusing everyone: is she hiding a comeback in the making? | Tennis blog for women

Serena Williams was recently spotted in ITIA’s international registered test poola fact that immediately fueled speculation that she might be preparing the ground for a comeback. But as the story spread online, the 23-time Grand Slam champion released it a firm denial that she plans to return. Did the news simply surface before she intended it to? And if there’s no comeback on the horizon, why go through the demands of rigorous anti-doping testing?

The last tournament Serena played was the 2022 US Open. If journalist Ben Rothenberg points outThe day after her final match, she formally notified the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of her retirement, exempting her from providing daily accommodations for out-of-competition drug testing.

As Rothenberg further investigates, Serena’s name remains on the ITIA list of retired players and has not yet appeared on the list of reinstated athletes. However, players will not be added to the recovery list until they complete the required six months in the testing pool and not while that six-month period is still running.

Overall, the information strongly suggests that Serena is preparing for a return to competition, with many fans speculating that she may be planning to play doubles with her still-active sister Venus, who never retired and plans to compete in doubles. will start its 2026 season in Auckland. Since Serena has been back in the testing pool since at least October 2025, she wouldn’t be eligible to compete again until April 2026 at the earliest.

When reports of a possible comeback began to circulate, Serena quickly shut down the speculation, writing, “Omg everyone I am NOT coming back. This forest fire is crazy.” Still, the question remains: why would you re-enter the residency program at all? The system requires athletes to update their location daily and be available for testing, something almost no one undertakes without serious intentions.