"So you wanna go back on tour?" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian teases American's potential return

Serena Williams may not be done with the game yet as her husband, Alexis Ohanian, joked about her possible comeback.

Williams has had a remarkable career that includes 23 Grand Slam singles titles. However, last year, she announced her retirement from competitive tennis to focus on her family, among other things.

The 41-year-old tennis icon recently became a mother once again, when she gave birth to her second daughter Adira River Ohanian. On the professional side, she has been actively involved in various business ventures and advocacy work.

The American has invested in several companies through her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, and launched her own clothing line, S by Serena. She has also been involved in philanthropic and social causes, such as supporting women’s empowerment and racial justice.

In a playful social media exchange on Friday, September 15, Williams expressed her unease with working out without a championship goal in mind.

"I’m not used to working out with no goal or to be honest - no championship in my mind. This is super weird," she said in a post on X (formerly Twitter)..

Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, responded with a tantalizing question, asking her:

"So..... you wanna go back on tour?"

Ohanian's seemingly casual and innocuous remark has since led to a whirlwind of speculation about Williams contemplating a return to professional tennis.

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Serena Williams' glorious tennis career came to an end at US Open 2022

Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open

Serena Williams has an 858-156 win-loss record in her career. She has won the US Open six times, the most recent one coming in 2014. At the New York major last year, in what was the final Grand Slam appearance of her career, she failed to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2006.

Williams faced Danka Kovinic in the first round and won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. In the second round, she faced a tough challenge from the second seed Anett Kontaveit. She prevailed in a three-set thriller, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2, with her fighting spirit and resilience.

However, her run at hardcourt Major came to an end in the third round at the hands of Ajla Tomljanovic. The Australian played aggressively, hitting 32 winners and breaking Williams’ serve eight times.

Tomljanovic won the first set before Williams fought back to take the second set in a tiebreak. In the decisive third set, the Aussie dominated from the start, racing to a 5-0 lead. Tomljanovic closed out the match with a forehand winner and with it brought the curtains down on the American's glittering career.

The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium gave Williams a standing ovation as she walked off the court.