Serena Williams drive to reach the overall record for grand slam titles was never more evident at Melbourne Park on Saturday when she revealed that her engagement to fiancee Alexis Ohanian was being forced to take a back seat.
The world number two announced her commitment to the social media entrepreneur shortly before the New Year and while it was "great", she was pushing it to the back of her mind, at least until after Melbourne Park.
"I've said from the beginning, I just didn't want to think about it until after Australia because... grand slams mean a lot to me," she told reporters ahead of next week's first round clash with Switzerland's Belinda Bencic.
"I was, 'well, I'm not going to think about it'.
"It's almost a little unreal right now because I haven't taken it in. I won't allow it to sink in because I'm so focused... (on) training, cardio, all kinds of stuff."
Williams equalled Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 grand slam titles last year when she clinched her seventh Wimbledon crown and sits just two away from the all-time record held by Australia's Margaret Court.
Following her London victory, she played in just two more tournaments, losing to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the third round at the Rio Olympics before being upset by Karolina Pliskova in the U.S. Open semi-finals.
Williams then promptly shut down her season to have treatment on a troublesome shoulder injury.
The 35-year-old Williams returned to the court in Auckland last week but was upset by fellow American Madison Brengle in the second round, then created a minor controversy when she said she could not get to Melbourne fast enough.
Her quest for her seventh Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup begins on Tuesday when temperatures are expected to top 38 degrees Celsius against Bencic, who could be her most dangerous first round opponent in years.
Bencic was ranked as high as world number seven last February but struggled with injury and poor form over the remainder of 2016, leading her to drop down to 48th ahead of the season's opening grand slam.
The 19-year-old, however, made the fourth round at Melbourne Park last year and beat the American the last time they met, in the Toronto semi-finals in 2015.
"She's done well here before. She's had a good win over me. It's never easy for me," Williams said.
"So I always go out there, and all I can do is do my best. I didn't come here to lose in the first round, or the second round, or at all.
"If I can play the way I've been practising, it will be fine."
Reuters
Sat Jan 14 2017
The world number two announced her commitment to the social media entrepreneur shortly before the New Year.
ANALYSIS - What could happen if Trump rejects the US election results
If Trump seems to be losing, the delay could let him claim fraud and undermine confidence in election officials.
Motorcycling - Marquez wins Australian MotoGP after intense battle with Martin
The 31-year-old, third in the championship standings, has now won the Australian MotoGP four times in the premier class.
Prabowo takes up Indonesian presidency, vows to tackle corruption, other issues
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto on Sunday took over as president of the world's third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues
Nepal's Sherpas deserve more, says teenager who scaled world's 14 tallest peaks
Sherpas are known for climbing skills that make them the backbone of mountain expeditions.
Inside the underground lab in China tasked with solving a physics mystery
China will soon collect neutrino data, aiming to unravel one of particle physics' biggest mysteries.
Millions in Cuba still without power as major outage persists
Millions of Cubans remain without electricity because of a prolonged outage at the main power plants on the island, Anadolu Agency reported.
Surge in Gaza violence increases famine risk, monitor says
About 1.84 million people across the besieged Palestinian enclave are living through high levels of acute food insecurity.
Israel pounds Beirut and Gaza after rockets hit Israel's north
A drone was launched at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home.
Elon Musk promises to award $1 mil each day to a signer of his petition
He awarded a $1 million check to an attendee of his event in Pennsylvania aimed at rallying supporters behind Donald Trump.
Former special forces commander Prabowo to take up Indonesian presidency
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto will take over as president of the world's third-largest democracy after sweeping the country's election with policies like free meals for school children
Father of Malaysian Islamic banking, Abdul Halim Ismail passes away
His dedication and pioneering spirit played an important role in shaping the journey of Bank Islam as well as leaving a lasting impact on the development of Malaysia's Islamic finance industry.
Zayn Malik postpones US tour dates after One Direction bandmate Liam Payne's death
Payne, 31, died on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, shocking fans of the boy band.
Why voters in a handful of swing states will decide the US presidential election
The contest will almost certainly be decided by just tens of thousands of voters a tiny fraction of the populace in a handful of states.
INSIGHT - Sudan's war risks 'lost generation' of children
A devastating crisis is unfolding in Sudan, where the most vulnerable members of society children are bearing the brunt of the violence.
Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?
A wealthy ex-general with ties to Indonesia's popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past, looks set to be its next leader.
Trump says he would impose tariffs on China if China went into Taiwan
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would impose additional tariffs on China if China were to "go into Taiwan,"
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.