Serena Williams: ‘I’ve been focused only on my tennis after the engagement’

Admittedly, it’s hardly been a disastrous period.

Aside from Kerber, Polish world number three Agnieszka Radwanska, who lost to Williams in last year’s semi-finals, Romanian pocket-rocket Simona Halep and Spain’s Garbine Muguruza can all pose a threat. Nevertheless, everyone will be gunning for her in Melbourne.

The American gets her quest for an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam title underway in a hard first-round clash against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in forecast sweltering heat on Tuesday.

Williams said she is not anxious after making 88 unforced errors in a loss to 72nd-ranked American Madison Brengle in a warmup tournament in New Zealand. “I do think that having Murray come in there as the No. 1 player, having never won down there, and Djokovic has really been the man the last four, five, six years in Australia, that adds a little extra spice to it in addition to those other guys coming back”. “It will be a new challenge for me”.

However, her start to the new campaign has been somewhat disappointing with early defeats in Brisbane and Sydney. Evert believes health and happiness are key to Williams attaining her major goals.

So where does the value lie?

“I’m not thinking too much that I’m top seeded now”.

“Oh I’m not talking about that”, she said.

Roberta Vinci is the potential fourth round draw. There’s more on that to follow but for reasons which will become clear, it’s enough to put me off. “Maybe this is the year – 2017 for seven”. Other options include 38th-ranked Coco Vandeweghe, 43rd-ranked Christina McHale, and 46th-ranked Lauren Davis, who just won her first career title in Auckland.

Concerns over the off-season revamp of her backroom team have, so far, proved unfounded and it certainly looked a happy camp in Sydney.

“I have a lot of confidence”.

Citing travel complications, Kerber plans to skip the upcoming Fed Cup first round against the United States to be played February 11-12, the weekend following the conclusion of the Australian Open, at the Royal Lahaina Resort in Maui, Hawaii.

By her lofty standards, 2016 “wasn’t a great season”, Serena said. She pulled out of the draw during her first-round match, something that brought injury concerns back into the picture. She’s never been past the last eight in Melbourne and can be taken on. She should still be trusted to make a very deep run.

The Swiss starlet made the fourth round past year before injuries derailed her season and she has a 1-1 record with Williams, winning their last encounter in the Toronto semi-finals in 2015. “I’m looking forward actually to start this special tournament again”. Moreover, Kerber is a good returner, and she is the better athlete out of the two players.

Also out is pregnant two-time Australian Open victor Victoria Azarenka, along with five-time major champion Maria Sharapova, who is suspended until April after failing a drugs test at last year’s tournament.

“This is always how I’m playing, how I am. Yeah, I feel ready”.

And the 19-year-old, who reached a career-high seventh in February, has been handed the toughest of assignments with a first-round contest against Williams.

Local hopes still rest largely on the tortured shoulders of Sam Stosur, who beat Williams to win the 2011 U.S. Open but has not been past the third round of her home grand slam since 2010.