Serena Williams Says She’s ’Not Retired’ During Panel

The 23-time Grand Slam champion told fans to not be surprised if she returns to the professional tennis world at some point.

During September’s U.S. Open, tennis legend Serena Williams appeared to announce her retirement after 27 years dominating the sport.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion told the world that she was “evolving” away from the sport after the U.S. Open, even though she tended to avoid the word “retirement” in any of her interviews.

While Williams was speaking on a panel at last week’s TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, the tennis great made it clear that she is not “retired,” which shocked many tennis fans.

“I am not retired,” Williams said, via The San Francisco Standard. “The chances [of me returning] are very high. You can come to my house and [see] I have a court.”

So, it sounds like we may not have seen the last of the 41-year-old in the professional tennis world despite previous indications that Williams had put that part of her life behind her.

“I didn’t even think about the whole retirement,” Williams said. “I still haven’t really thought about it. But I did go on the court the other day and [realized] for the first time in my life that I’m not playing for a competition and that felt very weird. It was like the first day of the rest of my life, and so far, I am enjoying it. But I’m still trying to find that balance.”

Williams didn’t go into any specific plans for a return to tennis, but don’t be surprised if the G.O.A.T makes an announcement to play in a tennis tournament in the future.

This isn’t the first time Williams has hinted of coming out of “retirement.” Previously, she cited NFL quarterback Tom Brady when discussing his brief retirement and then return to the sport, saying Brady began “a really cool trend.”

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