Serena Williams returns to Wimbledon after drug-testing reinstatement

Tennis icon Serena Williams stunned fans with a striking physical transformation last year before confirming her return to tennis . Twelve months following the unveiling of her new appearance, the 23-time Grand Slam champion is back at Wimbledon for the first time in four years. Williams, 44, competed in her final professional match at the 2022 US Open, where she succumbed in a punishing three-set encounter against Ajla Tomljanovic. After that loss, she delivered an emotional goodbye to supporters at Flushing Meadows. She had resisted

any urge to mount a comeback ever since. In August 2023, she gave birth to her second child, Adira River, with husband Alexis Ohanian. Nevertheless, a visibly trimmer Williams submitted the required documentation for a sensational return to the sport last year. The International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed that Williams had been reinstated on the register of players subject to drug testing. The Michigan native’s name also appeared on a document released by the ITIA on October 6. Any speculation of a comeback was promptly

shut down by Williams, though. She posted on social media: “I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy”. The tennis icon never officially retired; rather, she characterised her time away as an “evolution”. Every active player must undergo out-of-competition testing. Those included in the testing pool are required to inform testers of their whereabouts for one hour each day. Rules dictate that any player who has retired must be available for testing for six months before they are permitted to return to competitive play. Speaking

to The Athletic, ITIA spokesman Adrian Bassett clarified that Williams’ inclusion in the pool did not automatically signal a return to action, though it did leave that door ajar. “She has notified us that she wants to be reinstated into the testing pool,” Bassett said. “I do not know if this means she is coming back, or just giving herself the option. All I can say is she’s back in the pool and therefore subject to whereabouts.” Six months after her social media denial, Williams

confirmed her comeback to professional tennis, accepting a wildcard to compete in doubles at Queen’s Club alongside Victoria Mboko. The pair won their opening match but lost their quarter-final by walkover after their partner withdrew due to a knee injury. Williams subsequently partnered with Karolina Muchova in the doubles at the Berlin Open, where they fell at the first hurdle. She has since entered the doubles draw alongside her sister Venus Williams, and has also accepted a wildcard into the singles draw, where she faces

Maya Joint in the opening round. Speculation regarding Williams’ comeback has intensified since she revealed her transformed appearance in July. Known for her formidable physique and for overpowering rivals during her heyday, Williams now displays a leaner, more sculpted frame. She has spoken about utilising weight-loss medication in an interview with Vogue. Williams disclosed that her use of GLP-1s through the consumer healthcare firm Ro enabled her to attain the body shape she wanted. Williams acknowledged that despite “training five hours a day” and “running,

walking, biking, stair climbing,” she struggled to lose weight and needed to “try something different”. However, Williams has reached her goals, and she now looks trim with chiselled abdominal muscles to boot. The Instagram caption accompanying her July post stated: “Working out and working on my angles.” The tennis icon has also uploaded several other posts on social media since displaying her toned figure. Williams is now poised to make her Wimbledon return for the first time since 2022 after confessing she missed competing professionally

last year. In April 2025, the American told Time Magazine she believed she could still compete at the highest level. “I miss it a lot, with all my heart,” she said. “I miss it because I’m healthy. If I couldn’t walk, or if I was so out of it, I wouldn’t miss it as much.”

Serena Williams, Wimbledon, ITIA, drug testing pool, Queen's Club, Victoria Mboko, Venus Williams, Maya Joint, doubles wildcard, comeback