Camille Naredo

Former tennis player Serena Williams attends the 2025 Baby2Baby Gala at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California, on November 8, 2025. Michael Tran, AFP/File

US former tennis player Serena Williams attends the 2025 Baby2Baby Gala at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California, on November 8, 2025. (Photo by Michael Tran / AFP)

Article (news)

Serena Williams

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764747405248AFP__20251109__83HE4XN__v2__MidRes__UsEntertainmentGalaChildrenCharity.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Former tennis player Serena Williams attends the 2025 Baby2Baby Gala at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California, on November 8, 2025. Michael Tran, AFP/File" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former tennis player Serena Williams attends the 2025 Baby2Baby Gala at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California, on November 8, 2025. <em>Michael Tran, AFP/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>LONDON, United Kingdom -- Serena Williams insisted Tuesday she had no plans to make a return to tennis after her registration with the sport&#x27;s drug-testing body sparked reports of a dramatic comeback.</p><p>The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has not competed since a third-round loss at the 2022 US Open left her one short of the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, held by Margaret Court in the women&#x27;s game and Novak Djokovic in men&#x27;s tennis.</p><p>&quot;It is correct that she is back on the Registered Testing Pool list,&quot; Adrian Bassett, a spokesman for the International Tennis Integrity Agency, the sport&#x27;s drug-testing body told AFP in London on Tuesday in response to media reports the 44-year-old American had registered.</p><p>&quot;At this stage we have no other information.&quot;</p><p>But Williams denied she was planning a return to competitive tennis by posting later Tuesday on X: &quot;Omg (Oh My God) yall (you all) I&#x27;m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy&quot;.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1995945691609551099&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-12-03T07%3A35%3A27.583237%3A6eabe7cf-55f4-4413-af54-ead39cf70437%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=e82928c9b86cf22354e3335d02eefba117c2ed67&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:224px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1995945691609551099"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Following her three-set defeat by Australia&#x27;s Ajla Tomljanovic at Flushing Meadows three years ago, Williams said she did not want to use the word &quot;retiring&quot; but instead explained she was &quot;evolving&quot; away from tennis.</p><p>Players who decide to return to testing need to provide information about their time and locations when they are available to give samples.</p><p>They also need to complete testing for six months before they are allowed to return to competition.</p><p>Williams&#x27;s older sister, Venus, -- seven times major singles champion -- returned to tennis in July at the age of 45 after almost two years away from the Women&#x27;s Tennis Association tour.</p><p>When Venus, a seven-time major singles champion, came back at the DC Open, she spoke about wishing Serena would join her on tour again. The sisters won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles as a pair and three Olympic gold medals as well.</p><p>&quot;I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here,&quot; said Venus at the time. &quot;Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her.</p><p>&quot;But if she comes back, I&#x27;m sure she&#x27;ll let y&#x27;all know.&quot;</p>

<p>Serena Williams insisted Tuesday she had no plans to make a return to tennis after her registration with the sport's drug-testing body sparked reports of a dramatic comeback.</p>

Serena Williams insisted Tuesday she had no plans to make a return to tennis after her registration with the sport's drug-testing body sparked reports of a dramatic comeback.

Serena Williams denies she plans tennis return despite registering for drug tests

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Serena Williams denies she plans tennis return despite registering for drug tests

Agence France-Presse

Published December 03, 2025 03:37 PM PHT

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Serena Williams

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