Is Serena Williams planning her comeback? The tennis world is puzzling

SSince February 22, 2026, it has been official: Serena Williams, for many the greatest player there has been in tennis, is an active professional player again. The 23-time Grand Slam winner is allowed to take part in tournaments, which should be easy for her to do even without being ranked in the world rankings. Every event on the WTA Tour is likely to flock to her and serve her a wildcard, a starting spot in the main draw, on the platter. In any case, on February 22nd, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) listed the name “Serena Williams” in the “Reinstatements” section. And crossed him off the list of retired professionals.

For six months, which was the mandatory condition for this re-activation, Williams was registered in the International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP); She had to be available for doping tests outside of competitions for six months. Those are the rules. So will there be a spectacular comeback soon? This is the big question that is being discussed like a mystery in the tennis industry. Because Serena Williams has been more or less silent about it so far. But it cannot be denied that the now 44-year-old is up to something. Just what?

“It’s like a taboo subject. As soon as it comes up, I start crying,” Williams said

Williams played her last official match to date on September 3, 2022. In the third round of the US Open she lost 5:7, 7:6, 1:6 against the Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. She stated in an essay in the fashion magazine before her last Grand Slam tournament that she had problems putting the racket down Vogue revealed. “I’ve been afraid to admit that I need to stop playing tennis for a long time,” she wrote, admitting, “It’s like a taboo subject. As soon as it comes up, I start crying. I think the only person I’ve really spoken to about this with is my therapist.”

Since her departure from the tennis stage, Williams has lived in seclusion, became the mother of a daughter for a second time, and pushed forward her business as an entrepreneur and investor. Her sister Venus Williams, who is one year older, is still playing; in January she took part in the Australian Open thanks to a wild card (lost to the Serbian Olga Danilovic). Last year, Serena Williams hit the headlines more and not only in a positive way when she presented herself significantly slimmed down and linked her weight loss to an advertisement for a weight loss injection. Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg was the first to reveal Williams’ return to the ITIA anti-doping testing pool in December 2025. She herself hadn’t announced anything.

At the end of January, Williams himself fueled further speculation. On the Today Show on US television, she dodged the question about her possible return: “I’m just having fun and enjoying my life,” she said, adding mysteriously: “It’s not a yes or no. I don’t know, I’ll see what happens.” This answer left a lot of wiggle room. For those familiar with the scene it is clear: Serena Williams will play again. “I was in the doping protocols for 16 years. Nobody volunteers for a warning call at five in the morning,” said former German top player Andrea Petkovic recently on the Tennis Channel. Also there, renowned tennis expert Jon Wertheim said he believed in a comeback. He had heard that Williams didn’t like her departure from Wimbledon. In June 2022 she lost in the first round against the largely unknown Frenchwoman Harmony Tan at the All England Club.

Williams’ former coach recently fueled her comeback ambitions the most. She would train hard, Rick Macci told the French sports daily The Team with, including male sparring partners. The 71-year-old also said that he thought it would be realistic for Williams to appear at the tournaments in Indian Wells (from March 4th) or in Miami (from March 18th). So far, at least from Indian Wells, there has been no news that a player named Williams is taking part. Andrea Petkovic would definitely welcome Williams’ return, she would have “bet everything on Serena that she would come back and play at least one game, and I think she has earned the right to do what she wants.” For them one thing is certain: “These goats (greatest of all time; d. Red.) have a completely different mentality.”