World number one Serena Williams is gunning for a third consecutive Madrid Open title this week after the American spent a month-long break from tennis. Williams lost her opening round match at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston last month despite being the tournament’s defending champion. Following the loss, Williams said that she needed time off from the sport.
“I need some weeks off where I don’t think about tennis and can kind of regroup,” she said. “I’m going to go on a vacation, for sure. I need some time off. I just need to take a deep breath and regroup.
“I think it will actually help me for the rest of the clay court season coming up.”
After the break, Williams is raring to give it a go in the sport that she’s dominated.
“You can’t go through life and not continue to learn something. I feel like every day you should grow, so there are still things for me to learn in tennis. Just how to be better and how to be consistent.
“As you grow, you have different goals – and I have different goals now.”
Williams’ title victory in Madrid a year ago was her 50th WTA title and a successful title defense will see her winning her 60th career title.
“It feels cool to join in with legends on important tennis records,” Williams commented. “These players are really historic players that you never think you could do anything as awesome as they are.
“Honestly, I feel almost shocked – like, really? Me? It doesn’t seem real.”
