Serena Williams is set for a surprise return to professional tennis more than three years on from her final match at the US Open, according to a new report.
The US tennis icon has been inactive since September 2022 but has now reportedly applied for reinstatement.
The 44-year-old won 23 Grand Slam singles titles in a historic career and is dubbed by some as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
The decision means that the US-born athlete will look to return to the top level of tennis in 2026.
She has been added back to the drug-testing pool required for all active players, according to tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg.
Williams lost her final match against Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 US Open and has not returned to the court since.
She applied for retirement with the International Tennis Integrity Agency a day after the final match.
This meant that she was not required to provide her daily whereabouts for random drug tests.
Serena Williams is set for a surprise return to professional tennis
|GETTY
However, this latest reported development claims she has returned to that pool.
The bombshell report, shared on "bounces" website, revealed that Williams wanted to play in this year's US Open but was knocked back until 2026.
Her sister, Venus Williams, is still active.
The pair are claimed to be looking to reunite as a double to add to their 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals while competing as a duo.
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The US tennis icon has been inactive since September 2022
|GETTY
It is unclear when she filed to return to the sport, as Williams' name does not appear on an October list of players registered for drug testing.
The legendary athlete turned professional in 1995 at just 14 years old and went on to dominate the sport for more than two decades.
Williams first burst onto the world stage with her 1999 US Open victory, a breakthrough that signalled the arrival of a new era in women’s tennis.
Armed with one of the most formidable serves in the sport and a competitive fire unmatched by her peers, she quickly became a force across all surfaces.
Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles in a historic career and is dubbed by some as one of the greatest tennis players of all time
|GETTY
Over the course of her career, she captured 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era, including seven Australian Opens, seven Wimbledon trophies, six US Opens and three French Open titles.
She added to her Olympic résumé with a singles gold medal at the 2012 London Games, further cementing her status among the sport’s all-time greats.
After taking time away from the sport to give birth to her daughter in 2017, she returned to reach four Grand Slam finals between 2018 and 2019, a comeback that captivated fans and underscored her extraordinary staying power.
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