Serena Williams Eligible for Tennis Return

Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, became officially eligible to return to professional tennis on February 22 after the International Tennis Integrity Agency removed her from its retired players list. The 42-year-old American, who last competed at the 2022 US Open, fulfilled the agency's requirements by spending six months in the International Registered Testing Pool, making her available for out-of-competition drug testing.

Williams announced her retirement in August 2022, stating she was evolving away from the sport she dominated for two decades. She won her final major singles title at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant with her first daughter, Olympia, and reached four more Grand Slam finals after returning in 2018 but did not add to her tally. Her career also includes 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, four Olympic golds and 319 weeks as world number one. Since retiring, Williams has focused on family, including the birth of her second child in 2023, and business ventures.

Initial reports of her rejoining the testing pool in December sparked widespread speculation about a comeback. Williams quickly denied it on social media, writing, "I'm NOT coming...