Serena Williams has declared that she is back to full fitness after an injury-plagued start to 2016.
The world No.1 was forced to withdraw from the Hopman cup last week due to inflammation in her left knee. Williams has been troubled by knee issues in recent years. Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, spoke in November about the extent of the chronic knee problem.
“The cartilage is not gone, not all of it, but a big part is”. Mouratoglou told French Media last year.
“At her age, her career could really be in danger if she went too far and got more injured like Rafa [Nadal] did in the past”.
Due to the stark warning sent out by her coach last year, it was unsurprising that Williams withdrew from the exhibition event to rest her knee. The withdrawal has cast questions on how fit Williams will be to defend her title at next week’s Australian Open. The 34-year-old hasn’t played a full match on the WTA tour since the US Open in September.
Despite the lack of match play going into the first Grand Slam of the year, Williams has told Australian media that she is fully fit for the Melbourne tournament. During an interview with The Herald, the world No.1 said that she was back to the top of her game.
“My body is feeling great now,” Williams said.
“Obviously I had a hiccup but right now it is doing much better. I’ve had a few days of training so it’s looking good.”
With temperatures currently in the mid 30’s, Williams stated that she is ‘Ok’ with the heat. The American has also been granted a boost with the weather predicted to drop to the mid 20’s next week. Discussing her preparation for the upcoming Australian Open, the 34-year-old said that the most important thing for her is to relax.
“I just need to make sure I’m totally relaxed and at ease. It all comes natural after that”. She said.
“I know what I need to do on and off the court to win big tournaments. That is what I like to do.”
Williams will be bidding to win her 22nd Grand Slam singles title next week. If she is successful, the world No.1 will equal steffi Graf’s record. The only player to win more major titles than Williams and Graf is Margaret Court who won 24 between 1960-1973.
