Wait, Is Serena Williams No Longer Retired?

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Is Serena Williams retired from being retired? The GOAT tennis player announced her retirement from the sport in August 2022, citing a desire to expand her family (which she did, welcoming daughter Adira in August 2023). But her recent statement has us wondering if she’s about to return to the court…or maybe announce a new product? We know how these stunts work, but we can’t help ourselves!

“I’m ready to hit some balls again,” the mom of two posted on May 21, 2024. The language is just vague enough that she could mean a lot of things, including punching nutsacks (Sorry, we’re all thinking it! If this is a prank by Venus…), but if this means what we think it means…in the words of Gossip Girl, “welcome back, Queen Serena.”

Serena Williams announced her retirement in an as-told-to essay for Vogue and made it clear that she was still grappling with the decision. “Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family…. Don’t get me wrong: I love being a woman, and I loved every second of being pregnant with Olympia…. But I’m turning 41 this month, and something’s got to give,” she said at the time.

“I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way…. There is no happiness in this topic for me. I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine. I hate it. I hate that I have to be at this crossroads. I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it’s not. I’m torn: I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next,” she continued, adding, “This sport has given me so much. I love to win. I love the battle. I love to entertain. I’m not sure every player sees it that way, but I love the performance aspect of it—to be able to entertain people week after week.”

If Serena Williams is done being retired, then, girl, come on back!

Originally Appeared on Glamour