(AFP/File)
Serena Williams insisted on Friday that she would never fall out of love with tennis and follow former world number one Justine Henin into retirement.
Williams, gearing up for a fresh assault on the French Open, which starts on Sunday, believes her decision to trim back her schedule has paid dividends by cutting out the risk of burnout as well as disillusion.
The 26-year-old has played just six tournaments in 2008, winning three titles.
Now she is hoping to take advantage of four-time Roland Garros champion Henin's shock retirement by landing a second French Open to add to her 2002 win.
"I have never overplayed," said Williams, who made her debut here in 1998. "But I still have had a fabulous career.
"It's tough on the tour. You have to play so many events or you get fined. It's not easy to stay fit and healthy. Mentally you can just drop. So I have had my own schedule and I do my own thing.
"I still enjoy the game and now I find that I can't wait for Wimbledon and I can't wait for the US Open and the Australian Open. I feel like I want to keep coming here for many years to come."
Williams said she has fond memories of Paris despite the infamous 2003 semi-final against Henin where she was booed and jeered by the crowd for alleged gamesmanship.
"I actually love Paris," she said. "But one of the matches that sticks out is when I beat Jennifer (Capriati) in the semi-finals in 2002. I just knew I wanted to win. That was a big step in my career.
"Now I have had the best preparation I've had since 2002. I feel like I have played so many claycourt tournaments. I feel like I'm a claycourt player. I'm comfortable out there which is great."
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