Serena Williams hints at staggering tennis retirement backflip months after giving birth

Serena Williams has sent the tennis world into a spin after hinting at a possible return to the court. On Tuesday, the 42-year-old mother of two teased that she was on the verge of playing professionally once again, just nine months after giving birth to her second child.

The 23-time grand slam champion revealed back in 2022 that she was retiring from the sport after dominating the competition for more than a decade. But a cryptic tweet has made fans wonder if she is ready to return and attempt once again to equal or surpass Margaret Court's record 24 grand slam titles. On Tuesday Williams wrote on X: "I'm ready to hit some balls again".

Williams last played a competitive match at the 2022 US Open, when she was beaten by Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic. The younger Williams sister amassed an incredible 73 career singles titles and collected more than $94million in prize money but Court's record is one thing she never managed to break.

Williams retired in 2022 and has since had her second child - Adira River, who turns one in August - with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Before her retirement in 2022, Williams revealed that she would soon be moving in a "different direction" and it was time for her to move on with her life.

"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.

"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."

She may now look to follow in the footsteps of her older sister Venus Williams, who took time away from the court but has since made her comeback. Approaching her 44th birthday, Venus is still featuring in WTA tournaments semi-regularly, most recently competing at the Miami Open where she lost in straight sets in the first round to Diana Shnaider.

Serena Williams never ruled out tennis return

Barely a month after retiring Williams hinted that she may compete again one day. "The chances (of me returning) are very high," Williams said. "You can come to my house and (see). I have a court."

And her recent remark about being ready to hit some balls again has got tennis fans excited that a return may be on the cards sooner rather than later. "Please come back. You have another Grand Slam or two you can win," one person commented. While another added: "Tennis has become boring since you left".