After almost a year of staying off the court following a series of injuries and surgeries, Serena Williams announced plans of playing for the upcoming Wimbledon tune up event.
Serena had dropped to number 25 in the rankings since winning last year’s Wimbledon. This time, she is determined to make it to next week’s AEGON International, although she has not yet revealed definite plans about playing in the Grand Slam event just yet. AEGON, a grass court tournament, will serve as Serena’s preparation for her title defense.
“I am so excited to be healthy enough to compete again,” Williams told the press.
“These past 12 months have been extremely tough and character building. I have so much to be grateful for. I’m thankful to my family, friends and fans for all of their support. Serena’s back!”
Williams started to miss tournaments after a tendon injury in her toe after stepping on broken glass in a restaurant. The injury, which resulted to two surgeries, kept her out of most tournaments for most of the year after her victory in Wimbledon. Another major health scare occurred when the 13-time Grand Slam was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism in February. Following her recovery, the Grand Slam champion returned to training April and is working with a fitness expert to keep herself in shape in time for Wimbledon.
Venus Williams, Serena’s sister, has also not played in any tournaments since the Australian Open in January and is slated to compete in Eastbourne.