Serena Williams has teased fans over a return to tennis, describing herself as “not retired”.
Twenty-three time major champion Williams, 41, announced her "evolution" away from the sport in Vogue in August. She was showered with tributes across tennis and wider culture during her run to the US Open third round.
Though she shirked away from the word "retirement" and never officially announced the US Open her final tournament, her emotional speech and exit from Arthur Ashe Stadium was widely regarded as confirmation of it being her final bow in the sport.
But it turns out that her absence from tennis may not be permanent. "I am not retired," Williams said at a conference in San Francisco on Monday while promoting her investment company, Serena Ventures. "The chances [seeing her play again] are very high. You can come to my house, I have a court.
"I still haven't really thought about [retirement]. But I did wake up the other day and go on the court and [considered] for the first time in my life that I'm not playing for a competition, and it felt really weird. It was like the first day of the rest of my life and I'm enjoying it, but I'm still trying to find that balance."
Her cryptic answer is not new, as ever since her Vogue announcement she has continued to drop similar indications she may one day return.
In August, she told US TV show Today, "You never know. I've learned in my career, never say never," when asked whether she will play another Grand Slam event. She has also pointed to Tom Brady's u-turn on retirement as starting an "amazing trend".
Twenty-three time major champion Williams, 41, announced her "evolution" away from the sport in Vogue in August. She was showered with tributes across tennis and wider culture during her run to the US Open third round.
Though she shirked away from the word "retirement" and never officially announced the US Open her final tournament, her emotional speech and exit from Arthur Ashe Stadium was widely regarded as confirmation of it being her final bow in the sport.
But it turns out that her absence from tennis may not be permanent. "I am not retired," Williams said at a conference in San Francisco on Monday while promoting her investment company, Serena Ventures. "The chances [seeing her play again] are very high. You can come to my house, I have a court.
"I still haven't really thought about [retirement]. But I did wake up the other day and go on the court and [considered] for the first time in my life that I'm not playing for a competition, and it felt really weird. It was like the first day of the rest of my life and I'm enjoying it, but I'm still trying to find that balance."
Her cryptic answer is not new, as ever since her Vogue announcement she has continued to drop similar indications she may one day return.
In August, she told US TV show Today, "You never know. I've learned in my career, never say never," when asked whether she will play another Grand Slam event. She has also pointed to Tom Brady's u-turn on retirement as starting an "amazing trend".
