Serena finds inspiration from Tom Brady

On Thursday, Serena Williams fought past Danielle Collins in a deciding supertiebreaker to reach the semifinals of the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne. Though she withdrew from her Friday showdown with world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, citing a shoulder injury, Serena delivered big time in press.

The topic of age came up and it's quite clear that the 23-time Grand Slam champion isn't dwelling on any number other than 24.

"I'm 39, right, I think?" she said. "Yeah, I always get confused. I don't look it. I don't know what it feels like to be that age. I just feel like me. I feel good. I look at Tom Brady, it's so inspiring. I don't know what athlete at what age is what any more. I think with all the new things, all the new technology, all the new physical treatments, rehab, things that you can do, I don't know what that age means anymore."

Brady is the perfect inspiration for any athlete. The 43-year-old is gearing up for the Super Bowl on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Kansas City Chiefs. He's seeking his seventh Super Bowl ring, yet when the NFL quarterback was asked which championship was his favorite, he said "the next one".

"Yeah, I mean, that would absolutely be my answer, for sure," Serena said. "It's a great way to think. Because otherwise you're living off of what you already did, yeah."

Though the shoulder injury ended her bid for a title this weekend, Serena still picked up three strong wins going into next week's Australian Open. She's the No. 10 seed and opens against Laura Siegemund.