Serena Williams has reentered the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) registered testing pool, potentially clearing the way for a return to the sport. The 44-year-old Williams, a 23-time major champion and widely considered the greatest women's player in the sport's history, retired from tennis in 2022 following the US Open. She has since reportedly asked to be reinstated and her name is included in the most recent list of players in the testing pool, dated October 6.
Scotland-based law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn has recently been hit with accusations of logo plagiarism, with claims its design is strikingly similar to Serena Williams' jewellery brand. While the Tennis star has yet to comment on the controversy, the law firm has defended the design, citing the contrast of the brands in question. While logo design disputes are nothing new, rarely are they sparked by public attention. While the controversy appears entirely coincidental, it has raised questions about how the allegedly identical logo design wasn't flagged. However, with no legal action currently served, it seems the law firm is standing strong with its rebranded identity.
Big trust on both sides like, really, full trust. We were feeding each other in terms of motivation. I [knew] her perfectly, how to push her, motivate her, provoke her to be more competitive. We got started during a difficult period. She hadn't won a grand slam for two years and suffered a first-round loss in a slam for the first time in her career [to Virginie Razzano at the 2012 French Open].
There are only a few players in my career who challenged me to be the very best, every single time we stepped out on the court, Williams said. Maria Sharapova was one of them. Whenever I saw her name next to mine in the draw, I made sure I practiced harder. And the feeling was mutual. It's a gift to have someone who motivates you to reach those heights. And I'll forever be grateful for bringing out the best in me,