LONDON - Serena Williams said that even in the depths of her blood clot drama last February, she never dreamed of calling time on a career that has yielded 13 grand slam titles, including the 2010 Wimbledon crown that she will defend from today onwards.

"I always thought I would want to continue to play," said the holder on Sunday as she continued a return to the sport after a year away through a foot injury and her lung hematoma, which required surgery.

"I thought I would play a lot sooner, but things didn't work out. I'm never the type to stop. I'll stop when I'm ready, and I'm just not ready. I really thoroughly enjoy being out here."

Williams made her return this week as she played two matches at the tune-up event at Eastbourne, losing a re-run of last year's Wimbledon final to Vera Zvonareva. But her two matches did total five hours, with no ill physical effects.

"I didn't feel anything after a three-hour (losing) match," said the 29-year-old, who starts against Aravane Rezai at the All England Club with a seventh seeding despite her current ranking of 26th.

"I was fine physically when I got off the court. My mom was so worried about me. I felt fine, I ran a lot and I felt good.

"I talked to my doctor almost every day before I left, and he said I'll be fine. 'Just pretend this never happened and you'll be fine,' he said."

Williams said that no matter what the outcome of her first major event back on court, she is happy to be back in the mix.

"I'm happy to have been here. Six or seven weeks of just trying to get myself together isn't a tremendous amount of time, but the fact that I can even compete and be in a position I wasn't sure I'd have a chance to be at again is more than enough.

"I feel like I'm young again. I have goals that I set for myself and achieve. It's good to have those."