THE tennisreporters.net NEWSLETTER: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, NO, 76

Hungry Serena will be back next week
'I don't feel like I've have done enough in my career that I feel a need to be jumping up and down;' Dokic on the Williams domination: 'It's over'

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Photos: Susan & Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA Design: Ron Cioffi/tr.net

FROM THE PACIFIC LIFE OPEN AT INDIAN WELLS – Can six-time Grand Slam champion, actress and designer Serena Williams balance her multiple off-court interests with what is almost certain to be a long and arduous road back to the top after eight months off?

"I'm not most people and never have been. That pretty much answers the question," said Williams. "I've been doing it for quite some time. I realize I have to dedicate a lot of time to tennis. I spend 90 percent of the time on the road in my room. I could be drawing dresses, I could be doing things on the computer, and I could be reading over a script. At the same time I could be looking at film or doing anything to improve my tennis. It really boils down to time management."

Williams is extremely difficult to figure out. At one point during her teleconference, she said that she learned in the past eight months that "tennis isn't the number one thing my life," and but also said twice that "tennis is my number one priority." Writing "go figure" might seem appropriate here, but what she really meant to say was tennis takes a back seat to the fortunes of her family (her half sister Yetunde was murdered last September), but that tennis is her primary career concern.

Speaking publicly for the first time since November, Serena tried to assure her fans that she is deadly serious about returning in resounding fashion at the NASDAQ-100 Open next week. Most 22-year-olds would be extremely satisfied with six majors on four different surfaces, 57 weeks at No. 1 and an Olympic gold in doubles, but Serena is not going to rest on her laurels and has plenty of goals left.

"I never thought I'd be saying the words 'comeback,' but I'll definitely be ready," said Serena, who has been out for eight months. "I don't feel like I've have done enough in my career that I feel a need to be jumping up and down, unless it's on the court."

Not everyone is convinced that Serena can return and be a tour de force again, especially considering the fact that her sister, four-time Slam champ Venus, has yet to reach a semifinal in '04.

Dokic on the Williams domination: 'It's over'
"Serena dominated for a year, year-and-a-half and now she's been gone almost a year, "said Jelena Dokic. "Even while she was No. 1, she was injured a lot of the time. And Venus hasn't done that well. Venus has been very beatable in the first and second rounds. That story is over. Justine and Kim are the ones who are winning everything now."

Serena says that Venus, who has run into some bad luck, will be just fine."We've both been working really hard and planning on making a lot of noise," she said.

Serena has gone Hollywood is a big way, acting in three TV shows ("Street Time," "The Division" and "Law and Order") and just did a voice over in a new Sponge Bob movie. She says the highlight of her time off was her fashion show in Santa Monica two nights before the WTA Championships, where she picked and designed many of the outfits.

Even though she was no longer playing, her star continued to rise, hence her recent $40 million contract with Nike.

Industry sources say that Serena's contract is loaded with clauses that tie the amount she will be paid to how much she is playing. She's well aware of that, but said her decision to return was not based on that contract.

"I feel I have to play. I don't have any pressure on me," said Serena, who helped design her Nike line. "I've always been inclined to make my own decisions and I've always made the right decisions for myself. What I want to do right now is get out there in some Nike gear and play."

Serena says she ravenous to play again, although she doesn't expect to regain the top ranking in a blink of an eye. Why would she? It's obvious how much better Justine Henin-Hardenne has become in the past nine months.

Siggi Bucher

Serena says Justine has stepped up her game in the last nine months.

"Maybe I have to work harder to get back to number one, but I do like being there and don't like to see a different number next to my name," said seventh-ranked Williams. "It means a lot to me to come back, because I've been in a lot of pain watching others play while I've been out. I want to give it my all. I've been feeling the hunger for quite some time."

Williams added said that Henin-Hardenne's success has not surprised her. The Belgian has won three out of the last four Grand Slams.

"She's been playing really well and I'm not stunned," said Williams. "Justine is a great player, but I still believe that you can't just look at one person. There lots of kids coming up; there are lots of good players out there."

Outside of the week she's spent in bed nursing a flu, Serena said she's in better shape than last year. However, when she takes the court next week, she could be quivering a little, something we haven't seen in a long time.

"I never said I wasn't nervous. … It's going to be an adjustment," she said. "I've been away for some time and it would be naive to say there will be no adjustment. But If I didn't feel confident that I could get back to my level again, I would have no business trying too compete. I might not win a match, but I'm sure going to try to go out there and win every match."