Serena Williams refuses to rule out comeback

Serena Williams declined the opportunity to rule out returning to professional tennis after recently filing the necessary paperwork.

Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, retired after the 2022 US Open.

In December, the International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed to BBC Sport that the 44-year-old was back on the list of players registered for the drug testing pool.

At the time, the American said she was "not coming back" but during an interview on the Today Show on Wednesday, Williams did not rule out stepping back on to the court.

"I don't know, I'm just going to see what happens," Williams said.

Interviewer Savannah Guthrie pushed Williams further, saying "that's a maybe to me", and the seven-time Wimbledon champion said "It's not a maybe".

Williams - a mother of two - said she recently put stay-at-home mum and housewife as her occupation on a form.

Asked whether she had re-entered the drug testing pool, Williams said: "I don't know if I was out. Listen, I can't discuss this.

"If I want to put it [rumours] to bed... listen, I want to go to bed."

Players are only eligible to return to competition once they have spent six months in the testing pool.

Williams' name appeared on a document published by the the International Tennis Integrity Agency on 6 October.

Every active player is subject to out-of-competition testing. But those in the testing pool - which is largely comprised of the top 100 singles, doubles and wheelchair players as well as returning athletes - must let the testers know where they will be for one hour of every single day.