Serena Williams learns date she can return to tennis ahead of potential comeback

Ewan West 10 Feb 2026 9:53 AM

Pictured: Serena Williams during a match

Serena Williams in action

Serena Williams has been cleared to make a sensational comeback as it has been revealed that the tennis icon will be eligible to enter tournaments again later this month.

Williams’ name has been added to the reinstatements list on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) website, with a reinstatement date of 22 February.

Players who have retired from tennis must make themselves available for six months of anti-doping testing in order to return to sanctioned events, and Williams will have completed this period in just 12 days from now.

Despite this potential return date, Williams is yet to confirm whether she will make a comeback.

Williams made her farewell at the 2022 US Open after she announced that she would “evolve away” from tennis rather than using the word retirement.

The former world No 1 won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and she is regarded by many to be the greatest women’s tennis player of all time.

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What has Serena Williams said about potential comeback?

In December, Williams sparked rumours that she could come out of retirement when it was revealed she had re-entered the ITIA’s International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP).

After the news emerged, Williams took to X/Twitter to respond to the “wildfire” by insisting she would not be making a comeback.

“I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy,” Williams wrote.

However, during an appearance on the Today show last month, Williams refused to rule out returning to tennis when asked about it directly by host Savannah Guthrie.

“I’m just having fun and enjoying my life right now… I don’t know, I’m just gonna see what happens,” said the American.

Asked about re-entering the anti-doping testing pool, Williams replied: “Did I re-enter? I don’t know if I was out. Listen, I can’t discuss this (laughs).”

Where could Serena Williams make a comeback?

Given she has been cleared to compete from 22 February, the first WTA Tour events that Williams could play are the WTA 250s in Austin, Texas and Merida, Mexico, which will begin on 23 February.

If Williams does return, though, it feels more likely that she would choose to make her comeback on a bigger stage, like one of the WTA 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells or Miami in March.