American tennis legend Serena Williams has been cleared to return to the WTA Tour since February 22. Her occasional hitting partner, Alycia Parks, told the world that she is in great form.
Her former coach Rick Macci and fellow legend Novak Djokovic shared their opinions on when and how she might come back to the game.
Months ago, Williams denied she was returning but never explained why her name was reinserted on the doping protocol list late last year.
Now a recent social media post casts doubt on whether she will ever come back.
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What Serena Williams said
The Instagram post contains three Easter photos that include her husband, Alexis Ohanian, children, mother Oracene, and sister Venus.
She wrote: “I don’t share these moments often, but being their mom is my favorite place to be. I’m with them 363 out of 365 days a year — and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This weekend was everything.”
This might mean she is not coming back
Williams prioritized tennis for the majority of her life. She had nothing left to prove in the sport when she retired in 2022.
Married and with two young daughters, it makes sense that being a wife and mother will be most important.
She experienced firsthand, after daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian’s birth in 2017, and subsequently watched her peers struggle to compete at a high level in WTA Tour singles tournaments after childbirth.
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Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina are among the select few moms in this era enjoying modest success. Grand Slam champions Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova, and Naomi Osaka struggled. With the exception of Osaka, all have retired. (In doubles, Taylor Townsend has become the most successful WTA Tour mom.)
Sept 1, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Serena Williams and Venus Williams of the USA play Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in Woman’s Doubles on day four of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Williams has also seen her sister Venus have difficulty in 2026. 2025 was an exciting comeback year when Venus won singles and doubles matches. That has not been the case in 2026 and may have discouraged a comeback if it was envisioned to be in doubles with Venus..
Serena likes to surprise us so anything is still possible, but this Easter social media post could provide valuable clues on her future plans.
