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Serena Williams believes it will be hard for her and sister Venus to make a winning return at Wimbledon because women’s tennis is stronger than ever.
Serena returned to action for the first time in 12 months after serious health problems at Eastbourne last week, while Venus also returned to competitive play at Eastbourne following a five-month hip injury absence.
The return of the sisters has been seen as bad news for the rest of the WTA tour, especially at Wimbledon where the American siblings have already amassed nine titles between them.
There has been a Williams in 10 of the last 11 singles’ finals in south-west London and it is hardly surprising that they are favourites to win the grass-court Grand Slam again.
Many pundits claim it would be a negative for the women’s tour if the sisters win major tournaments as soon as they return, but Serena doesn’t see it that way.
And even though current world number one Caroline Wozniacki has yet to win a Grand Slam, Serena is still impressed by the quality of the top female players.
“I think the tour’s doing fine. Great new campaigns going on, so much going on in women’s tennis,” Serena said on Sunday.
“There’s so much depth in women’s tennis. It’s good. Everyone’s playing so hard.
“No one wants to go down. You get match point, doesn’t matter, you got to really focus. Everyone’s playing tough.”
Serena is delighted to be back but she doesn’t believe her time off, which many believe deprived the women’s game of its’ most marketable personality, devalues the achievements of Kim Clijsters and Li Na, who won Grand Slams in her absence.
“I really just missed not being around the tour,” she said. “I missed the ladies in the locker room. I missed laughing. I missed having matches. I missed the tour.
“I’m not sure if the women’s tour missed me. I mean, maybe some extra colour, I guess!”
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