Serena Williams denies returning to tennis

Serena Williams has filed the necessary paperwork for a return to tennis – but then said she is “not coming back” to the sport

The American great, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, retired after the 2022 US Open.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency has confirmed to BBC Sport that Williams, 44, is back on the list of players registered for the drug testing pool.

Her name also appears on the most recent document published by the organisation on 6 October.

Just hours after it emerged she had re-entered the sport’s registered drug testing pool, Williams posted on social media: “I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy”.

Why Williams would ask for her name to be added, without any intention of playing again, remains a mystery because joining the list invites a visit from out-of-competition testers.

Williams was never a fan of the word retirement, preferring instead to say she was “evolving away” from the sport in 2022.

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