Former World No. 1 Serena Williams took a major step toward a potential return to professional tennis by recently re-entering the anti-doping testing pool, The Athletic reported Tuesday.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion's name appeared on an Oct. 6 list of players in the International Registered Testing Pool, a requirement for a return to competition.

"She has notified us that she wants to be reinstated into the testing pool," Adrian Bassett, a spokesperson for the International Tennis Integrity Agency, confirmed in a text message Tuesday to The Athletic.

"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."

A spokesperson for Williams did not immediately respond to a request for

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