Williams threw cold water on the idea that she might be preparing to return to tennis at the time, taking to social media to tell her followers that she is "NOT coming back," after a spokesman for the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said the 23-time grand slam champion had registered with the sport's drug-testing body.<\/p>\n
READ MORE:<\/strong> Sinner defies 'odds' to set up Djokovic showdown<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \ufeffREAD MORE:<\/strong> Aussie opens up on UFC future as White House rumour lingers<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Waratahs coach breaks silence on wild pre-season brawl\ufeff<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Williams' denial has not halted the speculation, with some of the sport's leading voices questioning why any former athlete would choose to be put back in the testing pool if they weren't seriously considering a comeback.<\/p>\n Speaking to Wide World of Sports last week, former men's world No.1 Jim Courier explained how onerous it was for athletes<\/a>, who have to be in a pre-determined place at a pre-determined time every single day in case drug testers turn up.<\/p>\n "So no person that doesn't have intentions to play professional tennis is going to put themselves in that list, especially someone who has as much experience doing it as Serena Williams," Courier said.<\/p>\n "Serena denied she's coming back, but I think unless she gets injured there is no doubt she's going to play somewhere at some point.<\/p>\n "Whether that's the mixed doubles at the US Open, whether that's doubles with her sister (Venus) somewhere, whether it's singles, only she knows. But there's no other way to interpret that."<\/p>\n Which is why Williams perhaps shouldn't have been taken by surprise when the question was raised in an interview on America's Today<\/em> program.\ufeff<\/p>\n Watch the Australian Open live & free on the 9Network &<\/strong><\/em> 9Now<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em> Stan Sport<\/strong><\/em><\/a> is the only place to watch every match, live & on demand with centre court in 4K.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n "I mean really, are you asking this on The Today Show?" Williams asked. "Oh my God."<\/p>\n "They would kill me if I didn't," the host replied.\ufeff<\/p>\n "Oh my goodness," Williams said.<\/p>\n "Is that a no?" the host shot back.<\/p>\n "Is that a no?" Williams responded. "Now people on the set are laughing, this is distracting. You're distracting us over there."<\/p>\n "OK, but you didn't say yes or no."<\/p>\n "I'm just having fun and enjoying my life right now," Williams replied.<\/p>\n "That's not a yes or a no," the host clarified.<\/p>\n "That's not a yes or a no," Williams said. "I don't know, I'm just going to see what happens."<\/p>\n Entering the testing pool is the first step that would be required by a player seeking to come out of retirement.<\/p>\n Williams, 44, has not competed since the 2022 US Open. Her final singles match was a loss to Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the time, Williams said she didn't want to use the word "retiring" and instead declared that she was "evolving" away from tennis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
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