By Jon Pierik
Serena Williams has vowed to not let the joy of her recent engagement sink in just yet, declaring her focus is only on claiming a seventh Australian Open.
Williams, 35, was recently engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian but opted to not parade her ring during her official pre-tournament press conference on Saturday.
There clearly was a reason behind this, with Williams insisting her mindset in Melbourne was only on the sport which she said was her "life".
"I've said from the beginning, I just didn't want to think about it [the engagement] until after Australia because I was, like, grand slams mean a lot to me. I was, like, well, I'm not going to think about it," she said.
The only bling Serena Williams is interested in showing off in Melbourne is the Australian Open trophy.Credit: Getty Images
"It's almost a little unreal right now because I haven't taken it in. I'm being rather selfish and focused on my career."
Williams had an injury-hit 2016, her campaign ending in the semi-finals at the US Open, when she also lost the world No.1 ranking. In a modest year by her standards, she claimed only the one grand slam – defeating current world No.1 Angelique Kerber to win a seventh Wimbledon. She had won three slams the previous year.
"For me, it wasn't a great season. I think for other people it would have been wonderful. For me, it wasn't," Williams said.
Having dealt with shoulder and knee problems, Williams says her health has returned to the levels required to challenge the world's best.
"I got a lot better. I had a little bit of a problem initially in the pre-season – just did a ton of therapy, exercises. I was able to get a lot better," she said.
"I felt that if I hadn't of taken that time off, [it] could have been bad for me."
The hard-hitting US superstar returned to battle in Auckland last week, losing in the second round.
"I felt great going into my last event. Hopefully, I can improve on that. Well, I can't get worse, so that's also very exciting. Hopefully, I'll be able to improve on that," she said.
Her campaign at Melbourne Park will open against Belinda Bencic, dubbed the next Swiss Miss, in what are expected to be sweltering conditions on Tuesday.
Now 19, Bencic was a US Open quarter-finalist aged 17, and has enjoyed guidance from Martina Hingis' mother, Melanie Molitor.
Bencic will call on the form she had against Williams in their most recent clash, at the Rogers Cup in Toronto in 2015, when she rebounded from dropping the first set in their semi-final. She said those were memories which would never leave her.
"I still remember, like, the last game, like every point, everything. It was, for sure, my biggest win until now," she said.
"I hope I can take this memory and put it to positive energy to be, like, super confident on the court, and play good."
Williams also remembers their last meeting and is determined to avoid a repeat.
"She's had a good win over me. It's never easy for me. So I always go out there, and all I can do is do my best," she said.
"I didn't come here to lose in the first round, or the second round, or at all. If I can play the way I've been practicing, it will be fine. I know she's been playing well, so it will be good for both of us."
Bencic, the world No.48 reached the fourth round in Melbourne last year, and believes she can be a dangerous floater this year.
"Of course, I want to see myself that way. I think I had good result when I was playing," she said.
Williams will be chasing history in Melbourne, hoping to break the Open-era singles record of 22 currently shared with Steffi Graf, but it's not something the veteran is thinking about.
"I'm just here to play and to win, obviously, but just to play," she said.