‘I have 50 masks I travel with’ – Williams worry over COVID-19 pandemic

Serena Williams has spoken about her concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, admitting she has been worried for her health.

Williams suffered a life-threatening pulmonary embolism in 2011 and doesn’t have full lung capacity.

Speaking ahead of her return to the court this week at the WTA Lexington tour event, Williams said she didn’t want to find out what the virus would be like and admitted she is super careful wherever she goes.

“I don’t have full lung capacity so I’m not sure what would happen to me,” Williams said.

“I’m sure I would be OK but I don’t want to find out.

“I have 50 masks that I travel with. “I’m super, super careful with what I’ve been doing, and everyone in the Serena bubble is really protected.

“Because at the end of the day it’s cool to play tennis, but this is my life and this is my health, so I’ve been a little neurotic to an extent but that’s just what I have to be right now.

Williams added it had been a challenge to stay fit and prepare for the return of tennis as her physios are based in Europe.

I had to figure out a way for someone to work with me in my bubble, in Florida, that I could trust,” she said.

“That was a new curve that I had to deal with. Tennis is naturally a socially distanced sport, so it was kind of easy to go back and just walk on my side of the court and have my hitter walk on his side of the court.”

Williams has built a gym and a new court at her Florida home to combat the isolation protocols.

“Florida was a really bad place to be so we were extreme with our social distancing. It was a completely different experience, but that is the only real learning curve,” she said.

She will playing the Top Seed Tour Lexington event this week, where she will meet Bernarda Pera in the first round, before moving on to New York for the Cincinnati and the US Open.

“I see myself doing it all if it happens,” she said.