Serena Williams Tennis Comeback Rumors Reignited After Venus Williams and Savannah Guthrie Weigh In

Nearly three years after she stepped away from professional tennis, speculation about a possible return continues to follow Serena Williams. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion announced she was “evolving away” from the sport ahead of the 2022 US Open. However, she’s remained a dominant presence in pop culture and business even with her absence on the court. Still, recent public comments and appearances have reignited chatter that the former world No. 1 may not be finished competing just yet. Here’s how Serena’s sister, Venus Williams, and Today show host Savannah Guthrie reignited the conversation.

Is Serena Williams returning to tennis? Venus Williams weighed in

Much of the recent chatter about Serena Williams centers on her decision last year to re-enter the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s anti-doping testing pool and the completion of the required six-month “whereabouts” period that made her eligible to play in sanctioned tournaments. This is a mandatory step for any retired player hoping to compete again. Under the sport’s rules, athletes must make themselves available for random testing and provide detailed daily location information before they can return to competition. Serena’s inclusion on the reinstated list could point toward a comeback, according to CBS Sports.

Serena herself posted to X, stating that she has no plans to come back. However, a recent conversation with her sister, Venus Williams, has fans wondering what’s really going on. In a post shared to X, Venus answered whether there could be a “sister reunion” with playing doubles on the court.

“Oh man, wouldn’t that be cool?” Venus answered. “I never see her practicing, though.” She then added that she doesn’t know “where” Serena is practicing, as she never sees it for herself.

“I think to come back, you have to get out there,” she added. “So, we’ll see if she can put some work in. Of course, playing for exercise is nice. There are a lot of hours that go into it, so, we’ll see what happens.”

Serena Williams previously clashed with Savannah Guthrie in a conversation regarding a comeback

Fans would love to see Serena Williams back on the court. Savannah Guthrie presented the question to Serena on the Today show in January 2026, and the two appeared to clash.

“I mean, really? Are you asking this on the Today show?” Serena answered.

“Is that a no?” Guthrie questioned.

“Is that a no?” Serena echoed with a laugh. “Now people on the set are laughing. This is distracting. You’re distracting us over there.”

Guthrie pointed out that Serena didn’t directly answer the question. To that, Serena noted that she’s “just having fun and enjoying” her life. When Guthrie once again pushed for a definitive yes or no, Serena still didn’t give one.

“That’s not a ‘yes’ or a ‘no,'” the tennis pro continued. “I don’t know. I’m just going to see what happens.”

Guthrie noted that this sounded like a “maybe,” and Serena corrected her, noting she’s still busy with her children and “housewife” duties.”

“Listen, I can’t discuss this,” Serena finally stated, laughing.

The tennis pro wants to ‘evolve’ rather than ‘retire’

Serena Williams won’t outright say that she’s retiring from tennis. Several years ago, she told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show that she was using the word “evolve.”

“I think retirement is something that is super earned and that people work really hard for,” she said. “I just feel like I’m at an age where I definitely have a lot more to give, and there’s a lot more that I want to do, and so I’m not going to be relaxing — there’s so much more for me. I feel like it’s more of an evolution of Serena. There are so many things that I’ve been wanting to do for so many years, and I’ve had such a passion for tennis for so long that I’ve never done it. Now it’s time for me to start to enjoy those things.”

Fans will have to wait and see whether Serena hits the court once more in 2026.