Serena Williams responds to rumored tennis comeback after reportedly entering drug-testing pool

Tennis fable Serena Williams reportedly took a measurement toward returning to competition.

Williams, 44, has re-entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) registered investigating excavation for the archetypal clip since she retired successful 2022, according to Bounces. She past played successful the 2022 U.S. Open, wherever she precocious to the 3rd circular earlier being defeated by Ajla Tomljanovic.

When Williams retired, she applied for authoritative retirement, meaning that she would not person to archer the ITIA her whereabouts for random cause testing. To re-enter arsenic a retired athlete, Williams indispensable beryllium disposable for out-of-competition investigating for six months earlier being allowed to participate an event.

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Serena Williams of the United States gestures to the assemblage aft a lucifer against Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia connected time 5 of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tourney astatine the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center successful Flushing, New York, connected Sept. 2, 2022. (Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY Sports)

Williams’ sanction was connected the ITIA’s updated testing-pool database connected Oct. 6. Just due to the fact that Williams' sanction is connected the database does not mean that a instrumentality to play is imminent. 

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion being listed is the requisite archetypal measurement for immoderate retired subordinate who would similar the enactment of competing again. If Williams remains connected way passim the process, she could instrumentality successful April 2026.

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Serena Williams gives an interrogation to Mary Jo Fernandez aft her lucifer against Ajla Tomljanovic (not pictured) connected time 5 of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tourney astatine the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center successful Flushing, New York, connected Sept. 2, 2022. (Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports)

Williams’ sister, Venus, took a interruption but ne'er formally retired, which allowed her to vie aft 16 months distant from competing. 

Serena Williams archetypal sought reinstatement this past August, conscionable earlier the U.S. Open, according to Bounces report. However, owed to the re-entry process, she was incapable to play.

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Serena Williams, successful a astonishment appearance, speaks astatine the International Tennis Hall of Fame to induct Maria Sharapova into the International Tennis Hall of Fame successful Newport, Rhode Island, connected Saturday. (IMAGN)

Fox News Digital reached retired to Williams’ representatives for comment.

Williams is 2nd all-time successful Grand Slam singles titles to Maragaret Court, who won 24. Williams, with 23 championships, has taken the archetypal measurement successful trying to get that 24th championship, if she chooses to vie again. 

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