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Serena Williams has not said she is coming back to professional tennis, but the conversation keeps finding its way back to her. This time, the buzz came from a practice court.
Alycia Parks, one of the rising American players on the WTA Tour, said she recently spent time hitting with Williams and walked away impressed. Her comments, shared in an interview with Tennis Majors, quickly set off another round of speculation about whether the sport’s most dominant player might still have one more chapter left.
“I actually practiced with her last Monday, and I messaged her yesterday,” Parks said. “She’s definitely a good mentor to me, and she’s helped me a lot, especially in my practices.”
Parks did not stop there. Asked about Williams’ condition, she offered an assessment that caught attention across the tennis world.
“She is in great shape,” Parks said. “So I think she would kill it on tour.”
Those words landed against the backdrop of lingering questions that first resurfaced late last year. In December, reports emerged that Williams had applied to rejoin the International Tennis Integrity Agency Registered Testing Pool, a necessary step for any player considering a return after retirement.
Under the rules, players must make themselves available for random drug testing and submit location information for six months before competing. The process does not guarantee a comeback, but it keeps the door open. With no current ranking, Williams would need wildcards to enter tournaments if she chose to return.
Williams has tried to dismiss the speculation before. When rumors gained traction in December, she took to social media to insist she was not planning a comeback, saying the talk had spiraled beyond reality.
The ITIA later confirmed her reinstatement request but was careful to frame it as procedural rather than predictive. Officials said the move simply allows eligibility if a player decides to compete, not evidence that one will.
Williams addressed the topic again during a January appearance on the Today show. Asked directly whether she was returning to the tour, she laughed off the question and kept her answer light.
“I’m just having fun and enjoying my life right now,” she said.
Her sister Venus Williams was less ambiguous when asked about a possible doubles reunion. Venus said she could not get Serena to practice and suggested a return did not appear close.
Others around the sport remain cautiously hopeful. Billie Jean King has said Williams might want to play again, even while acknowledging that the stakes would be different this time.
Parks’ comments have now added another layer to the story. Without announcements or timelines, Serena Williams continues to hover between past and possibility, leaving fans to read the signs and wonder what, if anything, comes next.
