The esteemed American tennis player, Serena Williams, will become eligible to participate in tennis competitions again from Sunday, February 22nd – yet it remains uncertain whether or when the prominent athlete will indeed make a return to the sport.
On Monday, Williams’s name appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) list for reinstatements, indicating her capability to enter tournaments starting from the specified date, as confirmed by the organization to BBC Sport.
Nevertheless, the champion with 23 Grand Slam singles titles has not issued a formal announcement about her comeback after concluding her career at the US Open in 2022.
BBC Sport has reached out to both Williams’s representative and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for their comments.
Athletes who have retired can be reinstated and resume participation in sanctioned events once they have made themselves available for drug testing outside of competition for a minimum period of six months.
Last December, the ITIA verified to BBC Sport that Williams was once again included on the roster of players registered for the anti-doping testing pool.
When an athlete is part of this pool, they are obligated to inform the testers of their whereabouts for one hour during each day.
A few hours later, Williams, aged 44, posted on her social media: “I am definitely NOT making a return. This flurry of speculation is insane.”
She subsequently refused to completely dismiss a potential comeback at the close of January, stating on the Today Show: “I’m not sure, I’m just going to wait and observe what transpires.”
