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Serena Williams has no current plans to return to tennis, but she left the door open when discussing her future on CBS Mornings:
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“I’ve literally given my whole life to tennis and it’s time for me to give my life to something else”: <a href=”https://twitter.com/serenawilliams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@serenawilliams</a> is moving away from the tennis court — for now, at least.<br><br>In an exclusive interview, the GOAT and <a href=”https://twitter.com/alexisohanian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@alexisohanian</a> tell <a href=”https://twitter.com/GayleKing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@GayleKing</a> what’s next for their family. <a href=”https://t.co/S7JQCO4kZe”>pic.twitter.com/S7JQCO4kZe</a>
“It’s hard to say,” Williams said when asked whether she would ever return (6:25). “I would say no. For now, no.”
The 41-year-old first announced she was stepping away from the sport in an essay for Vogue last August, although she clarified it wasn’t exactly a retirement.
“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me,” Williams wrote. “…Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion reached the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open, including an upset win over No. 2 Anett Kontaveit, before seemingly ending her career.
However, Williams kept the possibility of a return open while speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in October.
“I’m not retired,” she said. “…The chances are very high [of playing again]. You come to my house, I’ve got a court.”
It was enough to keep fans hopeful they will see the superstar on the court once again.
On the other hand, Williams appears to be enjoying her version of retirement.
“It’s fun to just take a break and do something I’ve never done before in my life, which is to be normal,” she told Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek. “Or as normal as I can be.”
Injuries were a major story for Williams late in her career, retiring due to injury in the first round of Wimbledon in 2021 before missing the next three tournaments. She only played seven official matches in 2022 after totaling just 17 in the previous season.
It will likely prevent the former No. 1 player from returning as a full-time competitor on the WTA tour. However, we could still see Williams come back in a big event or two down the line.