Serena Williams teases sensational return to tennis with cryptic social media message

Serena Williams has teased a possible return to tennis at the age of 42.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner revealed back in 2022 that she was 'evolving away from tennis' after a remarkable era of dominance.

But on Tuesday the mother of two suggested she was on the verge of playing once more. She wrote on X: 'I’m ready to hit some balls again.' 

The younger Williams sister has amassed 73 career singles titles, collecting more than $94million in prize money. 

She last played a competitive match the 2022 US Open, when she was beaten by Ajla Tomljanovic.

A few months earlier, she had revealed that she would soon be moving in a 'different direction' as tennis took a backseat.

'I have never liked the word retirement,' Williams wrote. 'It doesn't feel like a modern word to me. 

'I've been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I'm up to is evolution.'

She added: 'There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction. 

'That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun. 

'I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just exciting Serena. I'm gonna relish these next few weeks.'

But barely a month after the US Open, Williams had begun to hint that her career might not be over after all. 

'The chances (of me returning) are very high,' Williams said. 'You can come to my house and (see). I have a court.'

Williams is married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and the couple have two daughters - Alexis Olympia, six, and Adira River, who turns one in August. Her comments came as part of a promotion for her investment company, Serena Ventures. 

'I started this company a while ago, so I just jumped right into that, she said. 'I didn't even think about the whole retirement.

'I still haven't really thought about it. But I did go on the court the other day and (realized) for the first time in my life that I'm not playing for a competition and that felt very weird. 

'It was like the first day of the rest of my life, and so far, I am enjoying it. But I'm still trying to find that balance.'

Williams won the first of her 23 Grand Slam titles back at the 1999 US Open. She went on to win six times in New York and was also a multiple winner at the Australian Open (seven times), Roland Garros (three times) and Wimbledon (seven times). 

The last of her major wins came in 2017, leaving Williams one shy of Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. The 42-year-old also won 14 major doubles titles alongside her sister Venus.