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Tennis legend Serena Williams has denied speculation that she's making a comeback after reports surfaced that she re-entered the anti-doping testing pool.
On Tuesday (December 2), The Athletic reported that Williams, who retired from competition after the 2022 US Open, was listed on the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) October 6 testing-pool update.
The report sparked rumors and excitement over Williams' possible return to the sport, which she quickly shut down.
“Omg yall I'm NOT coming back,” Williams tweeted on Tuesday. “This wildfire is crazy.”
Under the ITIA protocol, Williams declared her retirement in 2022 and was no longer subject to routine drug testing. Williams' profile still lists her as retired as of Tuesday, but she could compete again after six months in the testing pool, which involves daily whereabouts reporting and random drug testing.
It remains unclear why the 23-time major champion would reenter the pool if she's not weighing a return.
Speculation about Williams' comeback comes after her sister, Venus Williams, 45, resumed her WTA schedule in July following a 16-month break. Venus Williams recently accepted a wild card for the Auckland Open in January, the same tournament where Serena captured the final WTA title of her career in 2020.
Earlier this summer, Venus revealed that she “never wanted [Serena] to retire."
“If she comes back, I'm sure she’ll let y’all know," she added.
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