'No more than 2 hours,' Jesse Levine shares major update on Serena Williams' practice hours amidst rumored return

We all remember the 2022 U.S. Open. The diamonds in her hair, the roaring Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, the emotional farewell that felt like the definitive end of an era. Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion and undisputed Queen of the Court, stepped away from tennis to focus on her family.

We cried, we clapped, and we accepted that the greatest run in modern sports history was finally over. But if you know anything about legendary athletes, you know that the competitive fire never truly burns out. It just smolders, waiting for a breeze.

Right now, down in Hallandale Beach, Florida, that breeze is starting to look an awful lot like a Category 5 hurricane. Rumors of a Serena Williams comeback are spreading like wildfire, and the tennis world is collectively holding its breath.

Why? Because Serena isn’t just lounging by the pool at the ultra-exclusive Shell Bay Club. She is out on the courts, rackets in hand, trading heavy blows with a man who knows exactly what it takes to hit with a legend: Jesse Levine.

1. The Shell Bay Sessions: Casual Hits or Comeback Prep?

In January, Serena joined the Shell Bay Club, a pristine, private sanctuary perfect for a retired billionaire athlete looking to relax. Her daughters take tennis lessons there. It’s a beautiful, family-first environment. But then there is the other side of the coin. Enter Jesse Levine, the club’s director of racquet sports and a former professional who spent years as Roger Federer’s trusted hitting partner. You don’t just rally with a guy like Levine to break a light sweat before brunch. According to Levine, the sessions started out as casual, weekly hits. But this is Serena Williams we are talking about. Levine recently noted that while she isn’t grinding through a punishing, military-style training camp, her form is undeniably sharp. “No more than two hours. We hit at the club, and her daughters take tennis lessons at the same time while I hit with her. Then they either go take a golf lesson or have lunch, and then get out of here. It’s not like a regimen where she’s doing two-a-days or coming with a coach as well. It’s just her and the kids who come, so it’s pretty casual.”

2. The ITIA Reinstatement List: The Plot Thickens

If Serena hitting with Levine was the only piece of evidence, we could probably chalk this up to a retired great staying in shape. But there is a bureaucratic breadcrumb that has tennis sleuths working overtime. In February, Serena’s name quietly popped back up on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) reinstatement list. For the uninitiated, being on this list is a mandatory administrative hurdle an elite player must clear to become eligible for professional competition again. It subjects the player to anti-doping protocols and official testing. Nobody voluntarily signs up for random drug testing just for the thrill of it. It’s a deliberate move that leaves the door to the WTA tour wide open.

3. The Return of the Mother-Athlete Phenomenon

If Serena does make a return, the ripple effects across the sports world would be seismic. We are already living in a golden era for mothers in professional tennis. Naomi Osaka returned to the tour in 2024 after giving birth. There is also an example of Kim Clijsters, who came back as a mother in 2009 to win 3 more Grand Slam titles. Serena, however, is the ultimate needle-mover. A return to the professional ranks wouldn’t just be a great sports story; it would be a global cultural event. It would inspire millions of mothers juggling careers and families, and it would inject a massive dose of star power into a WTA landscape that still deeply misses its biggest icon. Right now, there is no official timeline, no dramatic press conference scheduled, and no wild card entry submitted for Wimbledon or the U.S. Open. Serena is keeping her cards close to her chest, prioritizing her family, and enjoying her time in Florida. But as long as she is out there stepping onto the baseline, staring down Levine, and absolutely crushing forehands, the tennis world will be watching. The groundwork is laid. The ITIA paperwork is filed. The hitting partner is world-class. Whether this is just a legendary athlete blowing off some steam or the stealthy beginning of the greatest comeback in sports history remains to be seen. But knowing Serena, we should probably start getting our popcorn ready.

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