For a legend who once described leaving tennis as “evolving away,” Serena Williams knows how to send the rumor mill into a frenzy. A straightforward administrative step—getting back into the sport’s anti-doping testing pool—has done just that, immediately igniting a flurry of comeback chatter throughout the tennis community.

Even though the 44-year-old clearly posted on X, “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy,” her decision to re-enter the pool keeps the possibility of a 2026 return slightly open. In the middle of all the public chatter, someone from her past has shared a thoughtful and honest take on the situation.

Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached Williams to ten of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles, shared in an interview with Express that the speculation, although maybe exaggerated, does have some basis to it. “Maybe this is something that crossed her mind because she’s in super shape, as everybody saw. She looks like she’s back to being a top athlete after being a mother,” he said.

It was just a few months ago in July when Williams took to Instagram to show off her powerful physique, complete with six-pack abs, three years after her retirement. “Working out and working on my angles,” read the caption to the post that now feels like a hint at something more than just a workout win.

Mouratoglou added, “So maybe it crossed her mind, and maybe she opened that opportunity. But to open an opportunity and to do it, there is, I think, a long way to go, so I guess we’ll know in a few months if happening.”

He framed any possible comeback not in terms of physical ability, but rather in how competitive his mindset was. “I think when Serena wants something and when she puts her heart in it, there are not much things that are impossible,” said Mouratoglou. “So I guess, if she thinks about her comeback, she will only [do it] if she thinks she can compete with the best; otherwise, she will not. That’s not her mindset. That’s never been her mindset.”

In the end, as Mouratoglou points out, it’s really up to Williams and her high standards. However, it turns out that Serena’s sister Venus was also asked about the whole comeback situation recently.

Even Venus couldn’t escape the Serena Williams’ related questions

At the Charlotte Invitational not too long ago, Venus Williams was asked about the possibility of a doubles reunion with her sister in 2026. She replied, “Hey, I can only speak for myself, and all I know is I can’t get her on the court. She doesn’t practice, so it seems very unlikely,” seemingly dousing the rumors.

However, jumping back into the testing pool feels more like an administrative step, and as an ITIA spokesperson pointed out, it could really just be about “giving herself the option.”

This really highlights how Serena’s legacy and influence extend far beyond just the baseline – even in retirement she has the power to completely dominate headlines and keep the conversation centered on her, even unintentionally.

Well, the tennis world might have to hang tight for a few more months to find out if the queen, on her own terms and fueled by her unstoppable drive to compete with the best, will make one last, amazing move.