Tennis super star, Serena Williams has revealed that she is not thinking of moving ahead of Steffi Graf’s Grand Slam record at the Australian Open.
The American world number two, 36, needs one major triumph to go clear of the German’s 22 Open-era titles.
The six-time champion played down the attention on the record, saying she was “just here to play and win”.
She faces unseeded 19-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic in the first round in Melbourne on Tuesday.
The all-time Grand Slam record is held by Australian Margaret Court, whose 24 titles spanned the amateur and Open era.
Williams’ only major victory in 2016 was at Wimbledon. She won the first three Slams in 2015 before a shock US Open semi-final exit to unseeded Roberta Vinci as she tried to emulate Graf’s 1988 ‘calendar slam’
She said it is difficult to deal with the level of expectation on her.
“It’s never easy for me. All I can do is do my best,” she said.
“I didn’t come here to lose in the first round or the second round, or at all.”
Bencic, 19, said she was “super-pumped” to face Williams.
“My first reaction was actually really happy. So I think I’m excited I get to play on the big court, I guess,” said Bencic.
“Everyone is like, ‘Oh, bad luck with the draw’. Me, I’m pretty happy and excited about it.”