“Are you asking me this on the ‘Today’ show?”

Savannah Guthrie grills Serena Williams about rumored tennis return in awkward Today exchange: ‘I can’t discuss this’

"Are you asking me this on the 'Today' show?"

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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January 28, 2026 2:52 p.m. ET

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Savannah Guthrie grills Serena Williams about rumored tennis return on 'The Today Show'. Credit:

Serena Williams isn't calling it a comeback — at least not yet. But that won't stop people from wondering.

On Wednesday, the four-time Olympic gold medalist had to confront that reality head on, during an awkward exchange with *Today* anchor Savannah Guthrie. Inspired by the news that Williams recently registered with the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) drug testing pool, three years after officially retiring from the sport, Guthrie directly asked Williams the big questions: is she planning a return to professional tennis?

Williams could hardly believe her ears: "I mean, really?," she replied with a laugh. "Are you asking this on the *Today* show? Oh my gosh."

"They would kill me if I didn't," Savannah pointed out.

"Really? Oh my goodness," Williams said.

Refusing to let her dodge the question, Guthrie pressed, "Is that a no?"

Savannah Guthrie and Serena Williams on 'Today'.

"Is that a no?” Williams repeated, laughing. Even more laughter could be heard off-camera, prompting Williams to look around and point, noting, "All the people on your set are laughing! This is distracting. You’re distracting us over there."

Meanwhile, Guthrie refused to lose focus, telling Williams, "You didn't say yes or no."

"I'm just having fun and enjoying my life right now," replied Williams, who shares daughters Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2, with husband Alexis Ohanian.

But Guthrie still didn't let her off the hook. "That's not a yes or a no," the *Today* anchor argued.

"That's not a yes or a no," Williams agreed, brushing off the question. "I don't know, I'm just going to see what happens."

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Grinning, Guthrie said, "That's a 'maybe,' to me," to which Williams immediately became defensive.

"That's not a maybe," the athlete insisted. "Listen, I have two kids. I am a full-time stay-at-home [mom]. When I filled out a form the other day, occupation: housewife."

When Guthrie pressed on, reminding Williams that she re-entered the drug protocol in December 2025, the tennis champ once again tried to move things forward.

"Did I re-enter?" Williams asked coyly. "I didn't know if I was out. Listen, I can't discuss this."

Guthrie then said, "I'm just saying that if you wanted to put it to bed, this would be a good moment to put the retirement rumors to bed."

Williams quipped, "I want to *go* to bed. It's early." Laughing, she added, "You're funny. That was fun."

Guthrie then wrapped up the interview, pointing out that Williams would also be on a later segment with anchors Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones. Off-camera, *Today*'s Craig Melvin interrupted, adding, "Hopefully!"

Guthrie defended, "Hopefully? She's not mad at me." Turning back to Williams, she clarified, "You're not mad at me."

"No," Williams confirmed with a laugh.

Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist, last played at the 2022 US Open, saying at the time that she was “evolving away” from tennis. After igniting speculation about her return in December, Williams tried to shut down the chatter with a firm social media post.

"Omg yall I’m NOT coming back," she wrote on X. "This wildfire is crazy."

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Months prior, her older sister Venus — who returned to tennis in 2024 after a long hiatus — made it clear that she would love for Serena to join her back on the tennis courts.

"We always did everything together, so of course I miss her," she told reporters at last year's DC Open. "But if she comes back, I’m sure she’ll let y’all know.”

Venus added, "I don’t know what she’s going to do. I don’t ask those questions. I think we always hit the ball, because that’s who we are. We’re always hitting."

Watch Serena dodge questions about her tennis comeback above.**

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