BREAKING: SERENA WILLIAMS CLEARED FOR 2026 PRO TENNIS RETURN FOLLOWING ITIA REINSTATEMENT
Serena Williams has been cleared by the ITIA for a 2026 tennis return as she sparks controversy with a weight-loss drug commercial.
Serena Williams just took another step toward a possible tennis comeback. She’s been cleared by the sport’s drug-testing authority to return later this month.
Serena hasn’t played a professional match since the 2022 US Open. Back in August, she surprised everyone by signing up for the drug-testing pool again, which made people wonder if she was really thinking about returning—especially at 44.
When news first broke last year that she’d registered with the International Tennis Integrity Agency, Serena jumped on social media and wrote, “Omg y’all I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.” But now, six months later, her name has popped up on the ITIA’s reinstatement page.
It’s still not clear if Serena actually plans to compete again. She’d be eligible to return as soon as February 22, just a few months before her 45th birthday.
All this happened just a day after she stirred up controversy with a Super Bowl commercial for a weight-loss drug. In the ad, she credited the company Ro for her transformation, saying she started using their GLP-1 medication after retiring. One part of the commercial even showed her injecting the drug. In another, she used Ro’s app to order a new pill version of the medication.
Serena didn’t just talk about losing weight—she said she’s also eased the stress on her knees, improved her blood sugar, and lowered her cholesterol. But not everyone was thrilled. One person on X (formerly Twitter) called it “disgusting” to see a legend “pushing weight loss drugs”. Someone else joked, “We’re cooked; the greatest tennis player of all time is on Ozempic.” And plenty of others just seemed confused.
Serena hasn’t played since her emotional exit at the 2022 US Open. Back then, she avoided the word “retirement” and said she was “evolving” away from tennis.
When athletes want to come back, they have to let officials know where they are—even when they’re not at events—so they can be tested. Serena’s been out since the third round of the 2022 US Open.
Her older sister, Venus, actually returned to play just last month at the Australian Open at age 45. Venus never officially retired, but she spent nearly a year and a half away from the tour before coming back last July. At the US Open, Venus became the oldest singles player at the tournament since 1981.
When Venus made her return, she talked about how much she missed having Serena alongside her. The sisters won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together. “The only thing that would make this better is if she were here,” Venus said. “We always did everything together, so of course I miss her. But if she comes back, I’m sure she’ll let y’all know.”
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
