Rumors about Serena Williams’ return to the professional tennis circuit have been circulating for some time. Amid these speculations, the former World No. 1 shared a video of herself practicing on a tennis court, a practice she hasn’t engaged in for a couple of years. This action of hers further fueled the rumors of a comeback.
Williams retired from professional tennis in 2022 after competing at the US Open. In the singles event, she defeated Danka Kovinić and Anett Kontaveit in the first two rounds before being eliminated by Ajla Tomljanović. In doubles, she partnered with her sister Venus Williams, and they lost in the first round to the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecká and Linda Nosková.
Serena Williams Returns To Practice on a Tennis Court Amid Tennis Comeback Speculation
In Dec. 2025, Williams’ name appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) anti-doping testing pool list, which heightened speculation about a possible return to professional tennis. Initially, she denied these rumors on social media.
However, during her appearance on the ‘Today Show,’ when asked about her potential return to the WTA Tour, the 23-time singles Grand Slam champion responded vaguely, neither confirming nor denying her intentions. Earlier this month, the ITIA listed Williams as eligible to return to competition on Feb. 22, 2026.
Amidst the ongoing rumors and speculations regarding her potential comeback, Williams took to social media to share a video of herself back on the tennis court. In the video, she can be seen practicing, hitting balls, and performing training exercises. In the caption, she mentioned that she had not practiced tennis like this since Sep. 2023.
Serena teasing more tennis content via Tiktok:
“I have not done this since September 2023” 👀 🎾 pic.twitter.com/s3VWWJoDVI
— VeeStar 🌟 (@VeeSTARWilliams) February 19, 2026
Williams turned professional in 1995 and was ranked No. 1 in both singles and doubles in the WTA rankings. Throughout her career, she bagged a total of 39 Grand Slam titles, including 23 in singles: seven each at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, six at the US Open, and three at the French Open.
In addition to her singles Grand Slam titles, Williams has also won 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles alongside her sister, Venus, and secured two mixed doubles titles with Max Mirnyi. She has won four Olympic medals — one in singles and three in doubles, all with her sister Venus — while representing the United States, among numerous other accolades.
Williams claimed the final Grand Slam title of her career in 2017 at the Australian Open, defeating Venus in the final. This victory marked her seventh Melbourne Major singles title and her 23rd and final Grand Slam singles title overall. She later revealed that she was pregnant with her first daughter, Olympia, during the tournament.
