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More than three years have passed since Serena Williams played what looked to be her final professional tennis match but now she is preparing to return. The American legend will be eligible to compete again before the end of February after laying the foundations to come out of retirement.

Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, has been preparing for her comeback by training with fellow American Alycia Parks. It remains uncertain what to expect from the 44 year old, whose last competitive match was in September 2022, though Parks has offered some insight after sharing a court with one of the best to ever do it.

Parks, 25, progressed through qualifying to reach the main draw at the Qatar Open and defeated seeded opponent Diana Shnaider in the opening round. There's no word on whether her training session with Williams played a role but she has shared some details after spending time on court with her compatriot.

"I actually practiced with her last Monday. And I messaged her yesterday," Parks told Tennis Majors in an interview published over the weekend. "She's definitely a good mentor to me and she's helped me a lot, especially in my practices. She is in great shape. So I think she would kill it on tour."

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Parks' insight follows the International Tennis Integrity Agency listing Williams as its most recent 'reinstated player'. Those seeking to return, whether from retirement or another break, must spend six months in the anti-doping testing pool before being considered for reinstatement for tour events.

Williams' reinstatement date is shown as February 22. According to Bounces, the date backs up earlier reports that the American submitted her reinstatement application in August last year.

She reportedly explored the possibility of competing at last year's US Open, a tournament in which she has won six singles titles and two doubles crowns, only to discover the six-month cooling off period would have rendered it impossible. However, she is now eligible to compete in three majors this year: the French Open and Wimbledon alongside her home championship.

Before that, Williams could participate in the US at Indian Wells, a tournament she last won in 2001. The main draw for the California event starts on March 4, with Mirra Andreeva the defending champion in the women's singles.

How packed Williams' schedule will be remains unclear. Some tournament organisers may opt to offer her wildcard entries to events, whilst there has been no indication yet as to whether she intends to play singles, doubles or both.

During an appearance on the TODAY show in January, she tried to dodge questions about whether she might return to the sport. Eventually, when pushed on the matter, she said: "That's not a yes or a no. I don't know, I'm just going to see what happens."

Williams last stepped on court in 2022, losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the US Open. She departed after her longest ever match at Flushing Meadows, saying: "It has been a fun ride."