It is 20 years since Serena Williams first lifted the Wimbledon singles title but there is only one thing on her mind as she returns to action ahead of next week at SW19.
Her first matches of the year came in doubles in Eastbourne earlier this week with Ons Jabeur, but she has only one thing on her mind.
When asked what her goal for the tournament is, she said with a smile: “You know the answer to that. Come on now.”
There will also be a sense of avenging last year’s disappointment on Williams’ mind. She had to retire early in her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus because of a leg injury.
“It was always something since the match ended that was always on my mind,” she said. “So it was a tremendous amount of motivation for that.”
The red-hot favourite going in, though, is World No 1 Iga Swiatek and the Pole, who is bidding to continue an incredible 35-match winning streak which dates back to February, revealed she was too shy to say hello to Williams.
“When I saw her yesterday, I was pretty overwhelmed,” said the 21-year-old. “I felt like I am still kind of new. I didn’t know how to react perfectly. I wanted to meet her.
“I saw that she had so many people around her. I don’t know her team. It was pretty weird. I came back to myself a few years earlier when I was too shy to say hi to anybody for a second.”
Williams revealed her decision to play at Wimbledon was made before the French Open, which was won by Swiatek, but the veteran has not had time to get back to peak form as she bids for an eighth singles title on the hallowed grass and the 24th of her career.
On her break from the sport, she said: “I didn’t retire. I just needed to heal physically, mentally. I had no plans, to be honest. I just didn’t know when I would come back.
“I didn’t know how I would come back. Obviously, Wimbledon is such a great place to be, and it just kind of worked out.”
Williams has made no secret of her desire to add to her Grand Slam haul, which would see her finally draw level with Margaret Court at the top of the all-time standings.
