Back where she belongs - Serena returns to Wimbledon spotlight after four-year absence

LONDON, June 30 : It is not like Serena Williams had been leading a humdrum life since she chose to "evolve away" from tennis four years ago.

As a globe-trotting woman who juggles running a venture capital company with her duties as a mother of two, she made sure that her life kept buzzing away from the grand tennis arenas she had called home for more than two decades.

Only problem was that for a champion who was addicted to that "winning feeling", it seems life away from tennis just could not match the adrenaline rush that would surge through her veins every time she belted the ball away to secure one of her 23 Grand Slam singles trophies.

Thanks to her insatiable appetite for success, at the age of 44, Williams was evolving back into singles action at Wimbledonon Tuesday - and her surprise return as a wildcard has gripped fans and players alike in the run-up to the tournament, with Novak Djokovic calling her comeback "inspirational" and "epic".

'YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF'

"No one knows how my game may or may not have evolved, what to expect ... but as of now ... you have to believe in yourself and go for any dream, no matter how wild it may be," Williams told reporters as she looked forward to holding court at the All England Club again.

Since contesting her last singles match at the 2022 U.S. Open, the American has become a mother for a second time and has made no secret of using weight-loss drugs to shed 34 pounds (15 kg).

Looking leaner and fitter than she did in 2022, the American is keen to impress daughters Olympia and Adira when she faces 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in the third match of the day on Wimbledon's biggest stage.

Joint was not even born when Williams won her first seven Grand Slam titles and