Serena Williams has scoffed at rumours she is considering a comeback to professional tennis after she registered with the sport’s drug-testing body, sparking a frenzy of speculation.

The move was confirmed by a spokesman for the International Tennis Integrity Agency on Tuesday (US time).

The 23-time grand slam champion, one of the greats of the game, has not competed since bidding farewell at the 2022 US Open.

At the time, Williams said she did not want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis.

But Williams took to social media to try to quell the chatter

“OMG y’all, I’m NOT coming back,” she wrote.

“This wildfire is crazy.”

However, she didn’t address why she had re-signed with the drug testing body.

Her agent did not immediately return a request for comment.

Williams, 44, was one of the biggest stars of any sport, a dominant talent on the court and still someone drawing attention away from it.

Serena Williams at the America Business Forum in Miami in November. Photo: AAP

Her decision to place her name back in the testing pool with the ITIA, who oversee anti-doping and anti-corruption efforts, was first reported by online Bounces.

“She is on the list and back in the testing pool,” ITIA spokesman Adrian Bassett confirmed on Tuesday.

Athletes returning to testing need to provide information on their whereabouts – details on their location when they are not at an official event and times when they are available to give samples.

Someone who retires while they are on the list and later comes back needs to be available for testing for six months before they are allowed to return to competition.

Williams’ older sister, Venus, returned to competition last July at 45, after nearly 18 months away from the tour; she never had announced her retirement. At the US Open, Venus became the oldest player to play singles at the American Grand Slam tournament since 1981.

When Venus, a seven-time major singles champion, came back at the DC Open, she spoke about wishing Serena would join her back on tour. They claimed 14 grand slam doubles titles as a pair.

“I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here. Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her,” Venus said at the time when asked about a video on social media that showed Serena swinging a racket.

“But if she comes back, I’m sure she’ll let y’all know.”

Meanwhile, fellow grand slam-winner Lindsay Davenport has signed a two-year contract renewal to remain the US’s Billie Jean King Cup captain.

-with AAP