Kimiko Date, who is 46 years old, will keep playing on the WTA tour and the Challenger circuit this season and says she would like to compete injury-free again.

Date couldn’t play during the beginning of this year because she had two operations on her left knee. She returned to court in May, but is still hurting. Date lost in the first round of an International Tennis Federation event in Stockton, Calif., this week.

"Still I have problem with my shoulder," Date told the *NorCal Tennis Czar* blog.

"That's why I cannot hit 100 percent,” she said. “But just to enjoy to play tennis. I love competition, I love traveling. Everybody asking me, 'Why you continue to play? Anytime you can stop.' I don't need to stop. One day when I feel it's time to stop, of course I will stop. But still I want to continue."

In the 1990s, the former world No. 4 reached the semis at the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon. She returned from a 12-year retirement in 2008 to break into the Top 100 again, and in 2013 she upset former No. 3 Nadia Petrova at the Australian Open.

But during the past three years Date has been hurt frequently.

"I don't need a ranking anymore. Also, it's difficult to be Top 100 anymore,” she said. “I just want to play 100 percent, not worry about my body, just focus on the ball and try 100 percent on the match. Then maybe I feel it's time to stop. But last two, three years, always I have some problem, so it's difficult."

Advertising

Kimiko Date, 46, back on tour following two surgeries

Kimiko Date, 46, back on tour following two surgeries

—ATP UMAG: Can’t make it to Croatia? Don’t miss a second of live match coverage of ATP UMAG on Tennis Channel Plus. Watch exclusive match coverage of ATP UMAG featuring Gael Monfils and Fabio Fognini on Tennis Channel Plus.

—World Team Tennis: Catch up on the best matches from World Team Tennis with encore coverage exclusively available on Tennis Channel Plus. Watch encore coverage of Maria Sharapova’s anticipated World Team Tennis return on Tennis Channel Plus.**

—International Tennis Hall of Fame: Watch encore coverage of the International Tennis Hall of Fame ceremony only on Tennis Channel Plus. Celebrate your favorite legends and watch the International Tennis Hall of Fame ceremony with inductees Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick. **

—Wimbledon Semis and Final encore: Relive the best moments from London on the Wimbledon Encores channel only on Tennis Channel Plus.

—Get Tennis Channel Plus for 650+ live events all year long. Tennis Channel Plus is available on any streaming device, on mobile, always on the GO (desktop, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire). Subscribe today at BuyTCPlus.com