Serena Williams will play her first match since the Australian Open final—and since the birth of her first child four months ago—in Abu Dhabi against French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Although she lost, Serena said she is “excited to be back,” as this is a special kind of return to the sport.
“I don’t think I am going to rate my performance,” Williams said. “I have plenty of comebacks, from injuries, from surgeries, but I’ve never had a comeback after actually giving birth to a human being. So, in my eyes, I feel it was a wonderful, wonderful match for me.”
As for the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 15, Williams is still undecided, but made it clear that when she returns, she’s coming for blood. “I don’t know if I am totally ready to come back on the tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships,” she said. That’s the Serena we know and love.