Serena Williams speaks about her return to the game after 24 months on sidelines

Serena Williams smiles with her daughter [Photo: Courtesy]

Tennis icon and Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has opened up for the first time to talk about her return to the court, which she says has hit a snag after delivering her baby in September 1, 2017.

In her exclusive interview with BBC Sport, the American tennis giant admitted that her road to hit ground running has been nothing but a rough patch. However, she asserts that she is committed to bounce back to the apex of her performance, in a matter of time.

She said: “It's been hard. But I keep going and I know that I might not be at my best yet but I'm getting there. “As long as I'm moving forward, even if it's at a turtle's pace, I'm OK with that.”

The 36-year old was speaking just ahead of her Women’s Tennis Association tour, which is set to begin this week.

Serena will battle against Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas, a match that will be the first round at the Indial Wells tournament, that will be in California.

Williams is determined to stage her resurgence to the game, though she concedes that navigating her path once more after parental duties befell her is not easy.

“My expectations, I don't know what they are. I can't go and say 'I expect to lose', because that's just something I'll never say. It's just a little different, I'm just expecting to see where I am more than anything,” she told the BBC Sport.

She last played a competitive match back in 2017 in the Australian Open, where she beat her elder sister Venus in ‘kins affair’ match to clinch the 23^rd Grand Slam singles crown. She is upbeat that she will be up her feet to roar once again at the Grand Slam.