ISTANBUL, Turkey—Serena Williams says that had it not been for her serious foot injury in the summer of 2010 and her pulmonary embolism in early 2011, she might not have achieved the same level of success since she returned to play in June 2011. Since then, the American has won 19 of her 56 titles, including four of her 17 Grand Slam titles.
“I didn’t think I would play tennis again after that,” said the world No. 1, who leads the Red Group at the WTA Championships. “I thought unfortunately that I just wanted to try to survive that moment and then move on. Then I ended up playing again. So I think that definitely built a lot of character in me, and I think it built even more mental toughness. It made me realize I could overcome a lot of things, and obviously had a lot of help, as well. I think all that really, really made me feel like I can do it.”