NEED TO KNOW
Serena Williams and Savannah Guthrie had an awkward exchange on the Today show on Wednesday, Jan. 28
Guthrie asked the former professional tennis star about a potential return to the sport
Williams avoided the the question, laughing off the moment
It's safe to say,Serena Williamsis not ready to talk about a potential return to professional tennis.
The 44-year-old athlete had an awkward moment during a live interview on theTodayshow withSavannah Guthrieon Wednesday, Jan. 28, when Guthrie asked her about rumors she might be returning to the court.
"Recently — tell me if I have this right — you reentered the drug testing pool, which some see as the precursor to a return to tennis," Guthrie said to Williams. "So you know I have to ask, are you returning to professional tennis?"
Williams laughed at the question, asking Guthrie, "I mean, really? Are you asking this on theTodayshow? Oh my gosh."
As Williams continued to avoid the question, Guthrie pressed, "Is that a no?"
"Is that a no?" Williams asked, as off camera a man could be heard laughing. "All the people on your set that are laughing. This is distracting. You're distracting us over there."
"Okay, but you didn't say yes or no!" Guthrie mused.
Williams continued to laugh off the exchange, finally saying, " I'm just having fun and enjoying my life right now," and when Guthrie pointed out that her response was "not a yes or a no," Williams replied, "I'm just gonna see what happens."
Guthrie continued, saying, "That's a 'maybe' to me!" but Williams quickly disagreed, saying, "That's not a maybe."
Williams, who shares daughters Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2, with husband Alexis Ohanian, said she considers herself a "full-time, stay-at-home" mom, even labeling her occupation as "housewife" on a recent form.
Serena Williams/Instagram
"Okay, but you did reenter," Guthrie pointed out.
"Did I reenter? I don't know if I was out," Williams countered. "Listen, I can't discuss this."
Guthrie pressed on, noting, "Okay, I'm just saying if I wanted to put it to bed, this would be a good moment. To put the retirement rumors to bed," prompting Williams to quip, "I want to go to bed. It's early."
The awkward exchange ended with Williams telling Guthrie that she is "funny" and Guthrie asking the tennis pro whether or not she was "mad" at her. After being asked multiple times, Williams was seen saying, "No!" before the interview concluded.
Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty
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Williams last played at the 2022 US Open, saying at the time that she was "evolving away" from tennis, but never explicitly said she was retiring. And in December 2025,Williams reentered the drug testing pool— which all players are required to be in to compete — leading to speculation that the 23-time Grand Slam champion was making her return to the court. But Williams quickly responded on X denying the chatter.
"Omg yall I'm NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy-," Williams wrote in apost.
Her older sister,Venus Williams, 45, returned to tennis in 2024 after a long break, and has expressed her desire for Serena to follow suit.
In July 2025,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."
"I don't know what she's going to do. I don't ask those questions," Venus said about her sister, with whom she won 14 doubles titles. "I think we always hit the ball, because that's who we are. We're always hitting."
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