Speculation has been circulating about Serena Williams potentially making a return to professional tennis since her name appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) anti-doping testing pool list in December 2025. Earlier this month, when asked about her comeback, the former World No. 1 was vague, neither confirming nor denying her intentions.
In light of Williams’ ambiguous response regarding her return, Martina Navratilova expressed her thoughts on the possibility of the former World No. 1 making a comeback and also good-humouredly called her out for “deflecting” while responding to questions about her return to the court.
Martina Navratilova Makes Her Feelings Known on Serena Williams’ Potential Tennis Comeback Speculation
Williams retired from professional tennis in 2022, with her last tournament being the US Open, where she reached the third round before losing to Ajla Tomljanović. Recently, while speaking on the Tennis Channel, Navratilova commented on the possibility of the 23-time Grand Slam champion returning to the sport.
Navratilova noted that Williams is skilled at “deflecting” questions, remaining vague about her potential comeback. She pointed out that entering the anti-doping pool typically indicates a desire to compete, suggesting that Williams is keeping her comeback plans “tight” and close to herself. Navratilova expressed that it would be “great” to see Williams back in action.
“Serena, you know she’s been craving many things, and she’s also very good at deflecting. Maybe she should be a politician. Talk about a non-answer answer she would not answer. You only go back into the anti-doping pool because you want to play something, but she’s keeping it tight. She’s playing that really tight to her best. It will be great if she plays,” Navratilova said.
A Serena Williams comeback could be in the works 😮 pic.twitter.com/8UVO9ci46x
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 29, 2026
Navratilova also mentioned that if Williams is enjoying her practice sessions, she doesn’t see why a comeback wouldn’t be possible. The 18-time Grand Slam champion said that Williams currently appears much healthier than she did while actively playing, although she acknowledged that age will factor into any decision to return.
“If you’re having a good time doing it (practicing), why not? I think she’s at the point where it’s like, ‘Let me see how well I can still play and test it out.’ And her body looks fantastic. She looks much better than she did when she actually did play. It gets harder as you get older, but you know, if anybody can do it, it’s Serena,” she added.
Williams turned professional in 1995 and has won a total of 73 WTA Tour singles titles. She boasts 39 Grand Slam titles throughout her career, including 23 singles championships: seven each at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, six at the US Open, and three at the French Open.
Williams has also claimed 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles alongside her sister Venus Williams, as well as two mixed doubles titles. She has held the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles in the WTA rankings and secured four Olympic medals for the United States, among many other accomplishments.
