When Jordan Chiles opened her final NCAA season in January 2026, it already felt different! Her floor was a mix of powerful tumbling with lighter, cheeky choreography, and much of that seemed to come from her DWTS experience. Even Chiles herself said, “Now I actually feel more confident in myself.” Surely it helped her, but her final NCAA year did not go as planned, as UCLA finished third in the semifinal. Soon after, fans began questioning what was next. Well, Chiles has not announced retirement, so what is her future? It seems like we finally know.

Just hours after bidding farewell to NCAA Gymnastics, Chiles stepped right back into the spotlight, this time in ballroom shoes! On April 20, she posted a TikTok video wearing a blue bodysuit, then transitioning into a turquoise fringe Latin look. It was a big hint, but her caption said it all, “ready for show 1 tonight!!! Back in ballroom shoes!! #dwts #dwtstour.” But does that mean she is back on Dancing with the Stars Season 35? Not exactly.

Jordan Chiles, who finished 3rd in the DWTS Season 34 finale in November 2025 with partner Ezra Sosa, is not returning as a competitor. Instead, she is joining the DWTS Live 2026 tour as a special guest performer and will be appearing in select shows from April 21 to April 30 alongside names like Robert Irwin, Andy Richter, and the professional dancers. So, it is a quick return to the ballroom, but not a full comeback to competition. So, what are her further plans after that?

Jordan Chiles has not announced retirement, and she has already spoken about wanting to explore different paths. “I’m going to go into real estate,” the gymnast revealed. “I love building. I love being creative. I love seeing things just be designed in different ways. That’s one thing.” But she is also open to acting and singing, but more than anything, she talks about building her own identity beyond sport, not just as an athlete, but as a person, too.

“I think it’s just continuing to make a brand for myself and to make sure everybody understands that Jordan Chiles is Jordan Chiles, not just as an athlete, but also as a human,” she added. Still, one thing sits behind all of this. No matter where she goes next, her final NCAA chapter did not end the way she dreamed it would.

Jordan Chiles’ UCLA farewell ended in disappointment

Jordan Chiles wanted to win the NCAA championship for UCLA in her final year, but it did not end the way she had hoped. On April 16 in Fort Worth, Texas, she competed in the NCAA national semifinal with UCLA. The meet started on a tough note, as Chiles had a fall on uneven bars after a handstand mistake, which hurt UCLA’s total and forced them to count a lower score early on. But she did not let it define her day.

Chiles fought back strongly on beam and floor. On the floor, she delivered a 9.975 routine and won the NCAA floor title, one of the highest scores of the entire competition. Even with her strong comeback, UCLA finished third in the semifinal and missed out on the final. Still, Chiles walked away with pride. Just days later, on April 22, she shared a heartfelt farewell post on Instagram, posting 14 photos from her UCLA journey.

In her message, she admitted she never expected it to end so soon and called her four years at UCLA the best of her life. “Dear UCLA, Where do I even begin? I never thought I would be writing a farewell😭, but here I am crying while writing. You’ve taught me so much coming in as a freshman and giving me the best 4 years of my life. I’ve learned so much about myself and becoming who I am today.”

She thanked her teammates for the memories and her coaches for allowing her to grow as both an athlete and a person, closing with an emotional, “THAT GIRL! Is out ❤️💕😭” And even her UCLA head coach, Janelle McDonald, couldn’t hold back her tears as she commented on her post, “Kinda needed a warning before seeing this post 🥹💙💛 What an amazing journey it has been, Jojo…. so proud of the impact you make on those around you, the legacy you have left at UCLA, and on our beautiful sport worldwide!…”

And even in disappointment, her final NCAA chapter still felt full of heart, fight, and everything she had given to the sport.