Serena back at Wimbledon and in a talkative mood

Serena Williams speaks during a news conference Sunday at the All England Club in advance of Wimbledon, which starts today in London. Williams is playing the grass-court major tournament, which she has won seven times, for the first time since becoming a mother last September.
Serena Williams speaks during a news conference Sunday at the All England Club in advance of Wimbledon, which starts today in London. Williams is playing the grass-court major tournament, which she has won seven times, for the first time since becoming a mother last September.
photo Serena Williams speaks during a news conference Sunday at the All England Club in advance of Wimbledon, which starts today in London. Williams is playing the grass-court major tournament, which she has won seven times, for the first time since becoming a mother last September.

LONDON - Serena Williams says she got choked up when she took her baby girl to Centre Court.

She appreciates the All England Club's decision to seed her as she returns to Wimbledon for the first time as a mother. She thinks it's unfair she gets drug-tested more than other players. She went weeks without practicing her serve because of an injury. She even referred to herself in the third person.

In other words, Williams was in the mood to gab Sunday at a pre-tournament news conference postponed a day so she could accompany her recently married royal friend, the former Meghan Markle, to watch Prince Harry play polo.

No one knows exactly what to expect on the court from Williams, the 36-year-old American who owns seven Wimbledon titles and 23 Grand Slam singles championships overall but has played only seven matches in the past 17 months. Her first-round match Monday on Court 1 against the Netherlands' Arantxa Rus will be Williams' first since pulling out of the French Open with a pectoral injury before a fourth-round showdown with Maria Sharapova.

One thing is clear, Williams said: She will be as hungry to win as ever in the fourth tournament of her comeback.

"I don't think I ever actually lost that competitive side. In fact, I feel like it's stronger, because I've been through so much," she said.

"It definitely surprises me a little, because I thought it would be different. I thought: 'Hey, I have this amazing child. I have all these Grand Slams. This is all super bonus.' And it is. I definitely feel a lot less pressure out there. But I am a little bit shocked at how much I almost want that pressure. I almost want to feel the need to go out there and be the best that I can be. It's weird, you know. I think it just speaks to who I am as an athlete and who Serena is."

Monday's schedule also includes the opening of Roger Federer's bid for a record-extending ninth title at the grass-court major, as well as matches for other past Grand Slam champions, including Williams' older sister Venus, Victoria Azarenka, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki in the women's draw, plus Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka on the men's side.

Sunday brought the withdrawal of two-time Wimbledon winner Andy Murray, who had hip surgery in January. Murray always is a focus, with so many expectations from the locals - after all, he gave Britain its first male champion in 77 years when he won 2013 - and in a released statement announcing his decision, he said it was made with "a heavy heart."

Williams figures to garner plenty of attention however long she remains in the field after sitting out Wimbledon last year while pregnant. Consider Federer among those pleased to see her back on tour.

"I'm happy she chose to take that route and not walk away from the game, which would have been totally fine. Why not? After everything she's done, it would have been the perfect excuse and exit to say, 'I've had it," said Federer, the father of two sets of twins.

"I'm very excited to see her attempting an amazing comeback, this time with a baby. It's a different life. Massive challenge for her, but I'm sure one she's up for."

Williams has won her past 14 matches at Wimbledon, with consecutive titles in 2015 and 2016 in addition to those she collected in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010 and 2012. That success rate surely was a consideration when the All England Club opted to elevate her from a ranking of 183rd to a seeding of 25th.

"I was pleasantly surprised," Williams said. "I came in here expecting that maybe I wouldn't get a seed. I do know Wimbledon tends to kind of beat to their own drum. That's kind of one thing that's been able to set them apart. It was a little bit in the back of my mind, that I would have a chance."

She also has a 10-match Grand Slam winning streak going: seven in a row while taking the trophy at the Australian Open in January 2017, then three more at the French Open before her withdrawal in early June.

"I was really down about that, to be honest. I was really, really, really down," Williams said about the injury. "I didn't serve, actually, till I got here, to be honest. Still, I'm debating if I should go 120 (mph) or whatever. I haven't yet. But it's been good. You know, I often find the less I serve, the better I serve, which is totally weird."

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