Serena Williams had awkward moment with Savannah | Sports News

Serena Williams and Savannah Guthrie had an awkward on-air moment whereas discussing the tennis legend’s potential return to competitors.

Throughout her extraordinary 26-year profession, Williams accrued just about each accolade the game of tennis has to offer. She claimed 23 Grand Slam singles titles — probably the most within the Open Era — and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her sister Venus, whereas additionally securing 4 Olympic gold medals in 2000, 2008 and 2012.

Once Williams rejoined the International Registered Testing Pool — which predominantly includes the world’s prime 100 males’s and girls’s singles opponents, elite doubles and wheelchair athletes, plus gamers aiming to compete following extended absences — many followers and pundits together with Guthrie anticipated she may quickly pursue further accolades.

During an interview on TODAY that aired a number of days previous to the disappearance of Guthrie’s mom, Nancy, the American broadcaster requested Williams level clean if she deliberate to compete again.

“Recently — tell me if I have this right — you reentered the drug testing pool, which some see as the precursor to a return to tennis,” Guthrie stated on the time. “So you know I have to ask, are you returning to professional tennis?”

Williams promptly laughed off the query, responding, “I mean, really? Are you asking this on the Today show? Oh my gosh.” When Guthrie requested if Williams’ response meant she wasn’t coming back, the adorned athlete replied: “Is that a no? All the people on your set that are laughing. This is distracting. You’re distracting us over there.”

Yet Guthrie wasn’t happy with the reply, quipping: “Okay, but you didn’t say yes or no!” Williams set free one other hearty giggle earlier than including: “I’m just having fun and enjoying my life right now … I’m just gonna see what happens.” Once Guthrie claimed her visitor’s remarks gave the impression of a “‘maybe’ to me,” Williams clapped back: “That’s not a maybe.”

In one final effort to get a yes or no reply out of Williams, Guthrie famous: “Okay, I’m just saying if I wanted to put it to bed, this would be a good moment. To put the retirement rumors to bed.” But Williams wasn’t prepared to budge, joking: “I want to go to bed. It’s early.” After Guthrie requested a number of instances if Williams was “mad” at her, she exclaimed: “No!”

ITIA spokesperson Adrian Bassett knowledgeable The Athletic’s Matthew Futterman that Williams’ addition to the pool would not robotically point out a aggressive return, though it preserves that chance.

“She has notified us that she wants to be reinstated into the testing pool,” Bassett said relating to Williams through textual content. “I do not know if this means she is coming back, or just giving herself the option. All I can say is she’s back in the pool and therefore subject to whereabouts.”

Yet Williams swiftly dismissed any hypothesis about a potential comeback, saying on social media: “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.”