Eastbourne - Serena Williams says nearly a year away from tennis hasn't diminished her competitive spirit.
The 13-time Grand Slam champion returns to action on Tuesday at the Eastbourne International after recovering from an injured tendon in her foot, which led to a blood clot on her lung.
Williams says doctors warned her that the blood clot could have ended her career and that prospect taught the 29-year-old about "not taking things for granted."
But she says that her attitude "hasn't changed" and that she still has "that insatiable, innate thing inside of me that I want everything. I just want to win."
Williams opens against Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria as she warms up for the defense of her Wimbledon title.