Serena Williams: ‘I was definitely depressed’ after suffering injuries

Serena Williams said she was depressed after her second foot operation last year and cried incessantly in the wake of her continued health problems.

In a revealing interview with USA Today, the former world No. 1 spoke about her recent health troubles, her plans for returning and what she's been doing with herself without tennis. Douglas Robson writes that Serena was "subdued" during the talk at her Bel Air mansion, but showed a "few glimpses of the bubbly personality" for which she's known.

The whole interview is worth a read. A few of the highlights:

? Serena said that doctors told her that part of her lung "died" after she suffered a pulmonary embolism.

? She admits that she hasn't been happy since a foot injury forced her off the WTA after Wimbledon. "I was definitely depressed," she told USA Today. "I cried all the time. I was miserable to be around."

? After spending 20 weeks in a cast or boot following the foot surgery, Serena was forced to walk around with a drainage bag for a week after surgery earlier this month to remove a hematoma. "I hated him," she said of the bag, which she named Grover.

? The 13-time Grand Slam champion said she doesn't know what a realistic timetable is for her return. She says she'll be faster, better, smarter and wiser when she does. As for talk of retirement, the 29-year-old Williams says she has the mentality of a 15-year-old and hopes that will sustain her career in a sport where 30 is often considered over the hill.

? What has she been doing with her time off?� "I've developed a karaoke habit," she says. "I've become a crooner." Her favorites: Rihanna, Celine Dion and Bryan Adams.

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