Serena Williams Calls Out Savannah Guthrie for ‘Distracting’ Interview Questions

Serena Williams wouldn’t take the bait when being pressed about a possible return to professional tennis on Wednesday’s TODAY show.

The athlete, 44, sat down with Savannah Guthrie, 54, to discuss her upcoming Super Bowl commercial for Ro and her weight loss journey, but was also asked about the intentions behind re-entering the Women’s Tennis Association’s drug testing pool last month.

“I mean, really? Are you asking this on the TODAY show? Oh my gosh,” Williams responded. Guthrie, however, was determined to get an answer, responding, “Yes, I am. They’d kill me if I didn’t — tennis nation, all your fans.”

Williams responded simply, “Oh my goodness,” to which Guthrie asked if her response was a “no.”

“Is that a no?” Williams repeated with a laugh, as TODAY staffers could also be heard laughing off camera. “All the people on your set are laughing. This is distracting. You’re distracting us over there,” she continued, answering only, “I’m just having fun and enjoying my life right now.”

Guthrie pointed out again that Williams had not given a direct answer about her return, at which point the former World No. 1 hedged by saying she would “see what happens.”

“That’s a ‘maybe’ to me,” Guthrie reasoned, before Williams shot her down, saying, “That’s not a maybe.”

“Listen, I have two kids. I am a full-time stay-at-home [mom]. When I filled out a form the other day, occupation: housewife,” she continued.

Williams announced in 2022 that she was stepping away from tennis to focus on motherhood, but did not officially retire. The tennis star is mom to daughters Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2, with husband Alexis Ohanian.

Williams went on to answer coyly about reentering the drug testing pool, “Did I re-enter? I didn’t know if I was out. Listen, I can’t discuss this.”

“I’m just saying that if you wanted to put it to bed, this would be a good moment to put the retirement rumors to bed,” Guthrie pushed, as Williams answered with a laugh, “I want to go to bed. It’s early. You’re funny. That was fun.”

Craig Melvin then chimed in from off camera, saying that he “heard a maybe,” to which Williams reiterated, “You didn’t hear a maybe.”

Williams previously denied her return to professional tennis after news broke last month that she had reentered the drug testing pool, tweeting at the time, “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.”