Martina Navratilova Drops Bomb on Serena Williams After the American ‘Deflects’ Tennis Comeback Rumors: “She Should be a Politician”

Serena Williams has re-entered the sport's anti-doping testing pool, which makes her eligible to compete.

Martina Navratilova Drops Bomb on Serena Williams After the American ‘Deflects’ Tennis Comeback Rumors: “She Should be a Politician”

Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams (via X BBC/NBC News)

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Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has assessed Serena Williams recent statement about the possibility of returning to professional tennis. Williams, who retired at the 2022 US Open after losing to Ajla Tomljanović, gave an unclear response after being asked during a television interview whether she would be back on tour.

Since Williams retired, there have been rumors about her return to tennis, but in December the speculation intensified when she re-entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA)’s International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP), the anti-doping testing pool for professional players in the sport.

Players are eligible to return to competitive tournaments only after spending at least six months in the testing pool. The ITIA updated its list once since October, and the December update includes her name. Every active player is subject to out-of-competition testing, but the pool is largely composed of the top 100 singles, doubles, and wheelchair players, as well as returning athletes.

Meanwhile, those in the testing pool must let testers know where they will be one hour from now every day. Players have complained in the past that testers showed up at times they did not like and had to take the test, or they would be heavily sanctioned by the ITIA. But Williams, joining the pool, means that even though she hasn’t played on tour yet, she is eligible for testing.

During a conversation about Williams’s potential comeback to professional tennis on Tennis Channel, Martina Navratilova pointed out that a retired player wouldn’t re-enter the ITIA’s testing pool if there was no intention of playing competitively in some capacity. She added that Williams would not give a straight answer about her possible return:

Serena, you know, she’s been great in many things, but she’s also very good at deflecting. Maybe she should be a politician. Talk about a non-answer answer, she would not answer. You only go back to the anti-doping pool because you want to play something, but she’s keeping it tight. It’d be really great if she plays.

Williams won 23 Grand Slams in her career and finished the year as World No.1 on five occasions. The 44-year-old also spent 319 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings. Since retiring from tennis, Williams has focused on her family and business ventures. She has two daughters: Olympia and Adria.

Aryna Sabalenka reacts to Serena Williams’ potential comeback to the tour

Aryna Sabalenka booked her place in the final of the Australian Open after beating Elina Svitolina in straight sets. It was the fourth consecutive time that the Belarusian star reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open. She’s seeking her fifth major title on tour and third at the Melbourne Grand Slam.

Aryna Sabalenka, Serena Williams
Aryna Sabalenka, Serena Williams (Image via X/Roland Garros, Tiempo De Tenis)

During her post-match press conference, she was informed of Serena Williams’ potential comeback and asked for her opinion. The World No.1 noted that Williams is left to do whatever makes her happy, and her decision is based on her own well-being. Sabalenka added that she has a fun personality on and off the court:

I heard that she’s enjoying her life, and whatever makes her happy, I’m happy for her. If she wants to come back, that’s her decision. It’s going to be fun to see her back on tour. She’s got the personality, and she’s a fun one. It will be cool.

Sabalenka will face Elena Rybakina in the final of the Australian Open. It will be the fifteenth meeting between the two on tour, with Sabalenka leading 8-6 in their head-to-head record on tour. The tie will be a rematch of the 2023 championship final in Melbourne, in which Sabalenka came from a set down to beat the Kazakhstan star at the Rod Laver Arena.

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