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The biggest story of the tennis world this week, perhaps even the sports world, has been the rumors of Serena Williams potentially making a comeback to the court. Now, her sister Venus Williams has shared her thoughts on the likelihood of that happening.
On December 1, reports emerged that Serena's name had been added to the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) list of names in the anti-doping testing pool. According to the rules, a player has to be tested regularly for doping at least six months before they re-entered the competition. Fans and journalists, therefore, took it to mean that the former World No. 1 might be looking to make a comeback in 2026, or later.
The rumors spread so fast and so wide that Serena Williams herself had to address them, which she did on social media.
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"Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy," the 23-time Grand Slam champion wrote.
In the case of any other player, that would have been the end of the rumour. But such is the allure of Williams returning to tennis after four years that the conversation has even barely slowed down.
Today, her sister Venus Williams is at the Charlotte Invitational, where she is set to take on Madison Keys in an exhibition encounter. There, she was asked about the idea of Serena joining her as a tennis pro again for doubles, prompting a rather funny reaction from the seven-time Grand Slam champion.
"All I know is, I can't get Serena Williams on the court. She doesn't practice," Venus said with a laugh at her press conference (shared on X by user 'Christian's Court). "So it seems very unlikely to me."
Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz are also in action in Charlotte, and will face each other in singles on the double-header night.
Serena Williams: "No matter how prepared you are to retire, it’s hard"
In a recent interview with Porter, Serena Williams had spoken about her retirement and whether she missed tennis, admitting that it was still hard being away from the sport despite her best plans.
"[I don't miss tennis] as much as this time last year. No matter how prepared you are to retire, and particularly from doing something every day at such a high level, it’s hard. I really prepped myself the best way I could, but it’s something that’s still a little difficult," Serena Williams said.
Serena Williams' final year on the WTA Tour was in 2022, and she retired with a final hurrah at the US Open.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
