Celebrity
Serena Williams Eligible for Return on February 22: Is the Tennis Legend Going to Compete?
Serena Williams can return to tennis from February 22 but uncertain about comeback
Serena Williams will, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), be able to make a professional tennis return from Sunday, February 22, after her name was seen on the ITIA reinstatement list, BBC Sport has been told. Therefore, she is allowed to enter tournaments from that day.
There are no official comeback plans so far from the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion who simply ended her career after the 2022 US Open, as far as the public is concerned. BBC Sport has contacted Williams’ representative as well as the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for comments.
Players like Williams who are no longer active can apply for re-entry and participate in events sanctioned by the governing bodies, only after they have been in single whereabouts for drug testing for a minimum of six months.
Serena Williams Registered for Drug Testing Pool but Keeps Comeback Plans Uncertain
According to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), their drug testing arm confirmed to BBC Sport in December that Serena Williams had re-joined the drug testing pool. This is a requirement, which players who are willing to come back to the competitions have to fulfill. A player in the pool needs to give his/her daily whereabouts to the testers for one hour.
Following the declaration, Williams, 44, went on social media to say in a post, “I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is wild.” However, she seemed to be still considering the possibility of a comeback when she said to the Today Show at the end of January, “I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens.”
Serena Williams Speaks Up on Coming Back to Tennis & Questions on Drug Testing
Serena Williams was asked by Savannah Guthrie about a possible comeback while the interviewer was pushing the topic. After Guthrie told Williams that her answer sounded like “maybe,” the 7-time Wimbledon singles champ wasn’t joking and said, “It’s not a maybe.”
Williams was evasive about whether she would be drug-tested again, “I don’t know if I was out of the pool. Look, I really can’t talk about this. If I want to put the [rumors] to sleep… Look, I want to go to sleep.”
In fact, Williams had been very honest about taking weight-loss drugs back in August and she even featured in a TV ad for the medicine during the recent Super Bowl which stirred up further discussions on her health and future in tennis.
Serena Williams: A Legacy of Dominance and the “Evolution” Away from Tennis
One of the most accomplished tennis players, 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams has made it a point to refuse retirement in words. Instead, she termed her “evolution away” from the sport during her final match at the US Open in New York.
This incredible player holds the rank of the most decorated career in tennis history. Only Margaret Court and Novak Djokovic have more Grand Slam singles titles than her. The seven Australian Open crowns, three French Open titles, seven Wimbledons, and six US Open titles constitute her amazing collection of trophies, making her the woman with most major singles titles in the Open era.
Besides her solo triumph, Serena and her elder sister Venus, who still competes on the WTA Tour, are likely to be counted among the most powerful tennis couples of all time. They have together won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles as well as three Olympic gold medals.
