Serena Williams' preparation for the Australian Open is more about her mental makeup than her ailing left knee.
The world's No. 1 player declared herself healthy for the first Grand Slam event of 2016, according to the Herald Sun.
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"My body is feeling great now," Williams said. "Obviously I had a hiccup but right now it is doing much better. I've had a few days of training so it's looking good."
Williams played one set of tennis at the Hopman Cup last week before withdrawing from three different matches before calling it quits all together because of inflammation on her left knee -- the same knee she said bothered her in September when she lost in the semifinals of the U.S. Open to unseeded Roberta Vinci.
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Serena noted that she has seen several players training hard for the major, which begins next week, and said her preparation has to be as much mental as it is physical.
"Every player is out there every day. Some players are out there twice a day," the 34-year-old Williams said. "We are all out there killing it. I just need to make sure I'm totally relaxed and at ease. It all comes natural after that.
"I know what I need to do on and off the court to win big tournaments. That is what I like to do."
Williams has not completed a full match since the semifinal loss to Vinci in September. She played some one-set exhibitions in the International Tennis Premier League at the end of last season, but she insists she'll be ready next week when the Australian Open starts in Melbourne.
Serena needs one more Grand Slam victory to tie Steffi Graf for second place on the all-time list for Grand Slam titles with 22. A win in Australia also would mark Williams' fifth Grand Slam championship in the last six Grand Slam events.
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