Miami, Mar 26: Serena Williams is set to play her first match in eight months at the Nasdaq-100 Open this week having dismissed suggestions that she might give up tennis for a career in acting.
''This is my career,'' said the American former world number one. ''This is my job. I'm lucky, not to say blessed, to be able to do this for a living.
''I see it as two separate careers, and I want to do both, but tennis is definitely number one right now.''
Serena has not hit a ball competitively since she beat her sister Venus in the Wimbledon final last July.
She had surgery on an injured knee on August 1 and in September she and Venus suffered a family bereavement when their sister, Yetunde Price, was killed in Los Angeles.



Serena has also been spending her time actively pursuing a career in television and film. She is signed up to the William Morris Casting Agency and has had roles in TV shows including Law and Order and The Division.



''I'm doing more television work at the moment because I'm only available at certain times, whereas movies need you to be there for weeks at a time.



''I've been doing a lot of drama, which I like, but I've been thinking lately I might like to do some comedy.''


Bureau Report