Serena Williams rejoins anti-doping test pool, raising hopes of comeback

Serena Williams made a step toward returning to tennis by asking to reenter the sport's anti-doping test pool.

"She has notified us that she wants to be reinstated into the testing pool," Adrian Bassett, a spokesperson for the International Tennis Integrity Agency, said in a text message Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Matthew Futterman.

"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."

Anyone who reenters the testing pool needs to be in it for six months before playing a tournament, Futterman explains. An updated list of the pool revealed she's been reinstated since at least Oct. 6, meaning she could be available to play from April 2026.

Williams explored a comeback weeks before the U.S. Open last summer but there wasn't enough notice to rubber-stamp her participation, according to tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg. She was expected to play doubles with her sister, Venus Williams, at the tournament.

The 44-year-old, who has a record 23 Grand Slam titles in women's tennis, last played in September 2022. She applied for official retirement with the International Tennis Integrity Agency a day after her third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the U.S. Open.

Venus returned to the tour at 45 last summer after more than a year away. She said in July that she wished Serena was along for the ride.

"I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here. Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her," Venus told reporters, according to Howard Fendrich of The Associated Press. "But if she comes back, I'm sure she'll let y'all know."

Venus became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis two days after that news conference.