>>> South Korea World Cup Exit Reignites Football Governance Crisis
Who knows if I'll ever make it here again, this could be it, you know, and so, I'm just like, what am I, what, what, what's wrong with me, Serena?
What are you thinking? Like, are you, are you nuts?
Like, you really should do this."
Williams also noted that the platform provided by professional athletics ultimately motivated her to rejoin the elite competitive circuit.
"People live to be an athlete, and I had this great opportunity to showcase what I do, what I do best, I suppose.
I think ultimately, I was like, that is pretty cool, so I should do it," Williams said.
According to the Associated Press, Williams alleged that recent changes to the anti-doping system added to her frustration, though the ITIA clarified that whereabouts rules have remained unchanged since September 2024.
"It's grueling," Williams said, per Ken Maguire of the Associated Press. "They changed the rules now.
I didn't know some of the rules. So apparently if you miss a test outside of your window, it still counts as missed.
I'm like, 'I guess I can't go pick up my kids. It's unprofessional.
I hate it.
I think it's necessary, but I think a lot of the stuff, if I want to go places outside of my window, I should be able to go without having it count as a missed test."
Williams previously warmed up for the Grand Slam tournament by participating in the doubles draw at the Queen's Club alongside Victoria Mboko, a run that ended prematurely due to an injury suffered by Mboko in singles play.
