Serena Williams may be eyeing a return to professional tennis. The 23-time Grand Slam champion’s name has reappeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) International Registered Testing Pool — a move required for any player hoping to compete again.
Williams retired after the 2022 U.S. Open, but players planning a comeback must re-enter the testing pool at least six months before returning to competition. Her inclusion on the latest ITIA list, released October 6, 2025, has fueled immediate speculation.
Caroline Wozniacki followed this same process when she returned to the tour in 2023, and Williams has occasionally posted court videos since stepping away. Now 44, she remains one of tennis’s biggest global stars, and fans are wondering whether this is her first major step toward an official comeback in 2026.
Her sister Venus Williams, 45, is still active on the tour after her own comeback earlier this year, raising the possibility that the legendary doubles pairing could reunite. The two last teamed up at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Players in the testing pool must provide daily whereabouts through the ADAMS system to allow for random out-of-competition drug tests. Williams is still listed as “retired” but would be eligible to compete by mid-2026 if she remains compliant with testing requirements.
What prompted Williams to rejoin the pool remains unclear, but former coach Rick Macci recently predicted she might reunite with Venus for a doubles return. While that pairing didn’t happen this season, the door to the U.S. Open 2026 is officially open.