Rumors are growing that Serena Williams could return to the tennis tour at the age of 44. As of this week, the conditions for a comeback have been created.
27.02.2026, 05:00
27.02.2026, 08:22
SDA
To be able to take part in WTA or Grand Slam tournaments at all, a player must make herself available for unannounced doping tests for six months. This reintegration into the doping program is complete for Serena Williams, the long-time world No. 1 and winner of 23 Grand Slam tournaments.
"Unless she gets injured, she will undoubtedly play somewhere again at some point," said Jim Courier in January at the Australian Open. "Nobody who is not planning to play a professional tournament takes part in this doping control program - and certainly not someone with as much experience as Serena Williams." This is because constantly informing the testing authorities over a longer period of time where testing could be carried out is extremely restrictive for all professionals.
Serena keeps a low profile
Serena Williams, mother of daughter Alexis Olympia (8) since September 1, 2017, is keeping a low profile. In December, she denied the rumors that had arisen because sister Venus (45) started her comeback last summer in Cincinnati. In January, Serena was less explicit. She did not confirm the comeback in a TV program "Today", but she did not deny it either.
"We'll see what happens," she said. When asked why she was taking part in the doping control program again, she evaded the question: "Am I back? I didn't even know if I wasn't there before. Look, I can't talk about it."
She would cause a sensation
The next hint of a comeback came this month from Alycia Parks (WTA 77), who revealed that she had trained with Serena. Parks: "She's in great shape. I think she would cause a sensation on the tour," said Parks in an interview with the specialist magazine "Tennis Majors".
Serena Williams played her last tournament at the 2022 US Open. She did not declare her retirement at the time. Instead, she said that she wanted to "develop further" in order to move further away from the professional tour. She has dropped out of the world rankings.
Next month, top-class WTA 1000 tournaments will take place in the USA in Indian Wells (March 4-15) and Miami (March 17-29). Both events would be the ideal stage for a comeback, even if it would be a surprise if Serena Williams were to play in Indian Wells of all places for the first time again, as she always avoided this tournament in her best years.
But Patrick Mouratoglou, her former coach, said in "L'Equipe": "Anything is definitely possible with her. If there's anyone I would trust to make a successful comeback, it's Serena."
