Serena Williams has her sights set on returning to world No 1 in tennis once she returns to the circuit after her maternity break.
The 36-year-old hasn’t played a competitive match since winning the Australian Open last year, after which she announced her pregnancy. After giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia in September, she made a tentative return at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi in December, but lost to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Williams was supposed to give a shot at defending her title at the Australian Open later this month but pulled out on Friday, saying she was “super close” but still not at the level she needs to be. She has also pushed back her return to March.
However, in an interview with Vogue, the former world No 1 said that her hiatus had in no way diminished her drive and she will definitely be targeting a return to the top of the rankings once she is back.
Since Williams relinquished the top spot in March last year, four other women have claimed the perch with Simona Halep being the current occupant. “It’s interesting,” Williams is quoted as saying. “There hasn’t been a clear number one since I was there.
“It will be cool to see if I get there again, to what I call my spot – where I feel I belong. I don’t play to be the second best or the third best. If there’s no clear number one, it’s like, yeah, I can get my spot back. But if there is a clear number one, that’s cool, too, because it’s like, yeah, I’m gonna come for you,” she added.
Apart from regaining the top spot in the rankings, Williams also wants to add to her tally of 23 Grand Slam titles. She is targeting at least one more Grand Slam title than the current record-holder, Margaret Court, who won 24.
“I absolutely want more Grand Slams,” Williams said. “I’m well aware of the record books, unfortunately. It’s not a secret that I have my sights on 25.”
The American added that having a baby while playing on tour might help her win.
“When I’m too anxious I lose matches, and I feel like a lot of that anxiety disappeared when Olympia was born,” she said. “Knowing I’ve got this beautiful baby to go home to makes me feel like I don’t have to play another match. I don’t need the money or the titles or the prestige. I want them, but I don’t need them. That’s a different feeling for me.”
Williams also revealed that her friends in the world of tennis have been very supportive of her since she announced her pregnancy. Mentioning the names of Caroline Wozniacki, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Angelique Kerber, Williams said that it’s important for competitors to genuinely care for and respect one another.
“I really believe that we have to build each other up and build our tour up,” she said. “The women in Billie Jean King’s day supported each other even though they competed fiercely. We’ve got to do that. That’s kind of the mark I want to leave. Play each other hard, but keep growing the sport.”
Williams also revealed that she tries not to look at her sister Venus Williams’s face when the two are playing against each other. Serena currently has a 17-11 lead in the head-to-head against her sister. The two last faced each other at the Australian Open final last year, which Serena won.
“I hate playing her because she gets this look on her face where she just looks sad if she’s losing – solemn,” Serena said. “It breaks my heart. So when I play her now, I absolutely don’t look at her, because if she gets that look, then I’ll start feeling bad, and the next thing you know I’ll be losing. I think that’s when the turning point came in our rivalry, when I stopped looking at her.”
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