Serena Williams will be eligible to return to professional tennis on February 22, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion appeared on the ITIA reinstatement list on Monday, indicating she has completed the required six months of out-of-competition drug testing.
While this clears the 44-year-old to enter sanctioned tournaments, her return remains unconfirmed.
Williams has sent mixed signals regarding a comeback. After re-entering the testing pool in December, she posted on social media, “I’m NOT coming back.”
However, in a late-January interview on the Today Show, she refused to rule it out, telling Savannah Guthrie, “I’m just going to see what happens.”
Williams “evolved away” from the sport after the 2022 US Open. If she returns, she would be chasing a 24th Grand Slam singles title to tie Margaret Court’s all-time record.
Neither the WTA nor Williams’ representatives have yet commented on her immediate plans.
