“For now, no”: Serena Williams addresses tennis comeback in Gayle King interview

FLASHBACK: Tennis Channel Live discusses Serena Williams' final match of her illustrious career.

When Serena Williams chose to hang up her racquets—without using the word “retirement”—at the 2022 US Open, the 23-time Grand Slam champion left many of her loyal fans wondering about her next chapter.

For now, the future will likely feature an expanding family and plenty of adorable farm animals—as she revealed in a new interview with journalist and longtime friend Gayle King on CBS News.

King was present at Arthur Ashe Stadium on the first night of Serena’s inspiring farewell run, which saw the six-time US Open champion reach the third round before falling to Alja Tomljanovic. Now, King finds Serena in her South Florida home, where her “evolution” has led her to focus on venture capital and tend to fruits and vegetables on the family farm.

“I’m so happy that I don’t have to train for two hours a day,” Serena said, when asked about her current relationship to tennis. “I feel more pain just looking at old pictures of myself winning championships. I’m like, ‘Oh I miss that.’”

With Serena’s personal tennis court in the background, King also asked the 41-year-old if she could see herself returning to the professional game in the near future—something Serena revealed her dad and childhood coach, Richard Williams, has also been urging her to do.

“I would say no. For now, no,” Serena confirmed, adding, “I’ve literally given my whole life to tennis, and it’s time for me to give my life to something else.”

The discussion also touched on her plans to have a second child, fulfilling daughter Olympia’s dream of being a big sister.

Viewers also meet a mini horse that Olympia named Daisy (above), and a steer that Serena named Antonio Enrique Cortez “Leche”—a combination of the names Antonio Banderas, Enrique Iglesias, and “Cortez” from Spy Kids, going by “Leche” for short.

“I let the kids do the naming,” Ohanian joked. But it's actually par for the course for Serena, who also has a Yorkshire terrier dog named Christopher “Chip” Rafael Nadal Williams.

Serena played her last professional match in August of 2022, marking the end of a glittering 27-year career that saw her climb to the highest echelons in women’s tennis. She won 23 Grand Slam titles, the most of any player in the Open Era, and reigned as the WTA world No. 1 for 319 weeks.