Serena Williams has taken the first step that would be required ahead of a comeback to tennis, registering with the sport's drug-testing body, a spokesman for the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said Tuesday.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, one of the greats of the game, has not competed since bidding farewell at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, Williams said she didn't want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis.

It was not immediately clear when or where — or even if — Williams actually will play again. Her agent did not immediately return a request for comment.

Williams, who is now 44, was one of the biggest stars of any sport, a dominant talent on the court and still someone drawing attention away from it. If she does e

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