Three years ago, Serena Williams decided it was time to hang up the racket. She said she was “evolving away from tennis” to focus on raising her two daughters, Olympia and Adira, and to be there for her family. After more than twenty years of ruling the sport, she walked away. Leaving behind a legacy that’s almost untouchable. But imagine a world where Serena’s back on court again. Sounds thrilling, right? Well, that might just be happening.

Last week, her name popped up in the ITIA’s doping testing pool for active players, and that set the tennis world buzzing. Adrian Bassett, a spokesperson for the ITIA, confirmed, “She has notified us that she wants to be reinstated into the testing pool.” In a text message on Tuesday, December 2, Bassett added, “I do not know if this means she is coming back, or just giving herself the option. All I can say is she’s back in the pool and therefore subject to whereabouts.” That little update was enough to spark wild rumors about a comeback. But Serena has spoke up about it.

 Serena Williams’ response on her comeback rumor

Reports swirled that the 44-year-old icon was plotting a return to top-tier tennis next summer. But the 23-time Grand Slam champion shut the chatter down on X on December 3, writing, “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.” That sounded like a full stop and case closed. But is it really?

Why would she be back in the testing pool at all? To play again, Serena would need to be in it for at least six months, which naturally sparked speculation about a possible comeback in the spring or summer. Just the thought of seeing her share the court with Venus again in doubles sent fans into a hopeful frenzy.

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Still, it’s Serena Williams who holds the final word on the verdict. And just when fans were ready to move on, she stirred the pot again. On December 11, she posted another message that raised eyebrows: “Feeling strongly about claiming my mojo back.” It contradicted her earlier denial and left fans buzzing. Because let’s be honest, the “mojo” the world associates with Serena is her unmatched dominance on the tennis court since 1995.

After all, this is a player who debuted at 14 and went on to own 23 Grand Slam singles titles (the most in the Open Era.) Add to that 14 in doubles, 2 in mixed, 4 Olympic golds, 73 WTA singles titles, and a glowing 859-155 career record. She completed a Career Golden Slam, held all four majors twice at once, and captured the WTA Finals five times.

No wonder the tennis world, from Andy Roddick to her former coach, can’t stop dreaming of seeing her light up the court again. And they’re giving their take on the whole thing as well.

Insiders speak up on why Serena Williams is in the testing pool

The Coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, opened up to Express on December 8, the coach who guided her to ten Grand Slam titles hinted that Serena might at least be thinking about a comeback at 44. “Maybe this is something that crossed her mind because she’s in super shape, as everybody saw,” Mouratoglou said. “She looks like she’s back to being a top athlete after being a mother.”

It’s easy to see where that idea comes from. Back in July, Serena lit up Instagram with a post that left fans speechless. It featured a photo flaunting her sculpted six-pack and captioned, “Working out and working on my angles.” Three years into retirement, it suddenly looked like the champion was gearing up for more than just a fitness goal. Mouratoglou added to the excitement, saying, “So maybe it crossed her mind, and maybe she opened that opportunity. But to open an opportunity and to do it, there is, I think, a long way to go, so I guess we’ll know in a few months if happening.”

Then came Andy Roddick, who added his take on the ‘Served’ podcast. “You don’t re-enter doping protocols to stay retired 1000%,” he said. “I’m sitting here as a retired person, and I’m not going, ‘You know what? For no reason at all, I would like to re-enter doping protocols. I’d like to pee in a cup every once in a while.’” It was classic Roddick: blunt, funny, and very convincing.

Roddick, who called Serena “amazing” and “so much fun to be around,” also painted a dream scenario, her rejoining Venus for one last doubles run. Maybe, he suggested, it could even serve as a farewell moment for her sister. Neither Serena nor Venus has confirmed anything yet, although it’s not like Venus didn’t speak up!

Venus speaks up on Serena Williams’ possible return

Shared via @christianscourt on X, Venus Williams was asked about the chances of a Williams sisters doubles reunion in 2026, and her answer gave fans a reality check. “Hey, I can only speak for myself, and all I know is I can’t get her on the court. She doesn’t practice, so it seems very unlikely.” Her comment sums up how tough elite sport really is. Getting back into the testing pool is mostly an admin step, and as an ITIA spokesperson said, it might simply be about “giving herself the option.”

Billie Jean King, however, sounded far more hopeful when talking about Serena’s possible return. Speaking to Sky Sports, she said, “I think she wants to try to play again. But I think she’s also very bright and very smart that she knows she’s not going to be No 1 again.” King added, “But if you love to play, why not? I mean, she’s all set in life. She doesn’t need it financially, and she enjoys it.”

For now, fans are left wondering if her name in the ITIA pool means a comeback or just another chapter of her tennis story waiting to unfold. What’s your take?