Rumours surrounding a potential return of tennis legend Serena Williams have been circulating for a while now.
On the 22nd of February, Williams became eligible to play professionally again after her name appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reinstatements list.
Players who have retired can be reinstated and play tour-level events after making themselves available for out-of-competition drug testing for a minimum of six months.
Serena Williams would finish 2026 ranked — in the world if she came out of retirement
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Williams, who officially retired from tennis at the 2022 US Open, has not yet confirmed whether she will be returning.
However, former American player Steve Johnson is utterly convinced that fans will see the 23-time Grand Slam champion back in action at some point this year.
Steve Johnson says Serena Williams will return in 2026
In an episode of ‘Nothing Major‘, Johnson said: “It’s hard to bet against that she’s not going to play.
“You don’t put yourself back into the drug testing pool without the thought of coming back. We all know how it is.
“You don’t put yourself up for that, every day, telling people where you are to come and drug test you unless you have a plan to come back.
“Unless something goes south, we are seeing her at some point this year.
“I’m very confident in that because that’s just a stress you don’t need in your life if you’re not going to play.”
Steve Johnson reacts to Venus Williams’ defeat in Indian Wells
While uncertainty around Serena’s return continues, her sister, Venus Williams, remains active on the WTA Tour.
Venus received a wildcard for this year’s Indian Wells Open, but the 45-year-old crashed out in her opening match against Diane Parry.
Analysing her performance in ‘Tennis Paradise’, Johnson said: “I mean, she’s 45. Age starts to become a factor where the movement, the legs, let you down, and these younger players can just kind of out-physical you in these matches and just kind of out-tough you.
“But you can see the mind is still there, the game is sharp, the way she can strike the ball hasn’t changed in her entire life, so it’s really impressive to watch.”
So far this year, Venus has entered five tournaments, but has failed to win a match in any of her appearances.
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