Even after three years of retirement, Serena Williams became the center of attention for the tennis world, as many thought she might actually be considering a comeback. With rumors growing, her former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has stepped in to share his thoughts on whether Williams will return to the court.
Williams sparked comeback rumors after fans noticed her name on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s Registered Testing Pool. The list was published on October 6 and went mostly unnoticed until recently, when some fans spotted her name and instantly started discussing a possible comeback.
Patrick Mouratoglou Weighs In on Serena Williams’ Return Rumors
Under ITIA rules, any retired player planning a return has to be available for out-of-competition testing for at least six months before rejoining the tour.
Amid the rising speculation, her former coach Patrick Mouratoglou shared his thoughts in an interview with Express Sport. Mouratoglou said that if Williams ever seriously thought about stepping back on court, it would only be because she genuinely felt ready to compete at the highest level again.
“Maybe this is something that crossed her mind because she’s in super shape, as everybody saw. She looks like she’s back to being a top athlete after being a mother. 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,” Mouratoglou added.
Even if the 23-time Grand Slam champion ever decided to return, it is still a question whether she would team up with her sister Venus for doubles or whether she would actually try to go after one more singles trophy.
Serena Williams Shuts Down Comeback Rumors and Focuses on Half-Marathon
However, just as the discussion reached its peak, Williams finally jumped in and shut everything down with one short post on X. “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy,” she wrote.
Her message made it clear that she is not planning a return, although ITIA officials have a different perspective. Instead, she is entirely focused on training for a half-marathon set for early 2026.
On November 20, she shared on Instagram that her training had hit a rough patch. She admitted she had fallen out of routine after a leg injury earlier in the year and was now trying to get back on track.
“So, I don’t know what’s happened to me lately. I’ve been so lazy, and I was training earlier this year for a half-marathon, and it didn’t go so well,” she confessed. “I mean, it was going good, then I got injured. I sustained an injury in my leg. That was four months ago, maybe five, and I haven’t really done cardio since.”
Now, the 44-year-old is determined to regain her conditioning. “The half-marathon I wanted to do is in February; I think I can still make it. I just got to get serious. The only thing I’m really good at, like, focus on is tennis,” Williams said with a laugh.
