Serena Williams dealt with serious health issues after giving birth to her daughter in September last year and the former world No. 1 on Friday said that her status for this year’s remaining Grand Slams remains up in the air.
Following the draw for this week’s Fed Cup tie against the Netherlands in Asheville, North Carolina, where Williams is to make her competitive return today, the American was asked if it was her intention to play the last three Grand Slams of the year.
“Right now, I don’t know,” Williams told reporters. “Right now I’m focused on this weekend and after that I’ll figure out what it might be.”
Williams has not played a WTA tournament since she won the Australian Open title last year and skipped this year’s opening Grand Slam due to concerns about her fitness four months after giving birth to her first child.
The 36-year-old American later revealed to Vogue magazine that she was bedridden for six weeks from a series of complications, including a pulmonary embolism that led to multiple surgeries, after her daughter was delivered by emergency cesarean section.
However, Williams, whose triumph in Melbourne last year gave her an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam — one shy of the all-time record held by Australian Margaret Court — still has a desire to compete in tennis’s blue riband events.
“I have long-term goals, obviously. Right now my main goal is just to stay in the moment,” said Williams, who is to team up with world No. 62 Lauren Davis in a potentially decisive fifth rubber. “It goes unsaid 25 [Grand Slams] is obviously something that I would love, but I’d hate to limit myself.”
Williams, who has already established herself as one of the greatest women’s players ever, has not played since losing an exhibition in Abu Dhabi in December last year to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Williams said she had dealt with a lot of ups and downs while preparing for her comeback, but added that the challenges to regain her fitness have given her a new perspective.
“I think that’s normal for everything that I’ve gone through,” Williams said, when asked about the hurdles she has had to overcome in getting back in shape. “But it also gives me another view. It’s almost relaxing for me, because I have nothing to prove.”
“Again, just fighting against all odds to be out there, to be competing again,” she added.
Williams also credited her elder sister Venus, who was yesterday to contest the opening singles rubber for the US, for helping her to not lose sight of her goals.
“I have a great partner and relationship with Venus. She’s been really, really positive,” Williams said. “There’s moments that have just been hard, getting back out there doing it every day. You have to get used to that, get in the rhythm of that.”
“I’ve been able to really rely on her for that,” she added.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was