World number one Serena Williams has said that she feels like she wants to keep going, warning her younger rivals that she remains as potent as ever before her first competitive match in more than four weeks at the Dubai Championships on Tuesday.
The American ace, who won the French and US Open singles titles last year, has been sidelined by a back injury since a shock fourth-round defeat by Ana Ivanovic at January's Australian Open and she also withdrew from this month's Qatar Open.
According to Sport24, although Williams failed to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to win a season Grand Slam after her Melbourne defeat, however, her enthusiasm for tennis remains undimmed despite nearly 20 years as a professional.
Williams, who became the oldest women's number one when she reclaimed top spot last February, said that she has fun on the court and feels like she wants to keep going.
The 17-time Grand Slam winner also said that it is harder for young players to break through in tennis as the sport is getting more harder given that there are more players with a bigger variety of shots, adding that she credits technology and prolific gym sessions for the new changes.
Williams faces a formidable line-up in Dubai, with 15 of the world's top 20 in the draw, the report added.