San Francisco, California - Serena Williams says the chances of her returning to the court are "very high," despite announcing her intention to step away from tennis before the US Open last month.

Though she deliberately avoided saying she would retire prior to the tournament, instead saying she planned to "evolve" away from the sport, many believed Williams' third-round exit at Flushing Meadows last month was the last time she would be seen playing competitive tennis.

Her defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic was met with the kind of fanfare that suggested she was calling it a day on an illustrious career that included 23 grand slam titles, the second most in history behind Margaret Court.

But Williams implied she could yet step on the court again when speaking at a TechCrunch Disrupt event in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Britney Spears Paris Hilton declares she and Britney Spears invented selfies: "#IconsOnly"

In quotes collected by the San Francisco Standard, Williams said: "I am not retired."

She added "The chances [of returning] are very high. You can come to my house and [see] I have a court."

Meanwhile, part of the evolution that the tennis legend had in might is a renewed focus on business. She was at the event to promote her investment company, Serena Ventures, which already raised over $100 million this year.