In-Depth: Serene Serena Williams has never looked happier

Williams overcame tricky first-round opponent Belinda Bencic in straight sets to advance to the second round of the Australian Open.

The American is chasing a 23rd Grand Slam title in Melbourne, which would be one short of Margaret Court’s record-haul of 24 – but her post-match interview highlighted a player not weighed down by history.

At 35, Williams has picked up every Grand Slam title at least three times. Talk of eclipsing Court on the court only appears to take place on social media and in the papers.

Behind the scenes, there is no doubting Williams’ aim, but after a relatively poor 2016 by her standards – one Grand Slam victory and two final losses – it’s clear she is taking it one game at a time.

A wise move too, for the women’s tournament is littered with unseeded talent. Williams conquered Bencic, who is a player on the rise, while her second-round opponent Lucie Safarova was ranked five in the world just 16 months ago.

And having recently announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, it seems Williams has never been happier in her pursuit for further glory.

Williams was beaming in her on-court interview after the match with Bencic, responding to a fan in amusing fashion and talking with a happiness which defies the history awaiting her.

“Right now I have nothing to lose. Every match and every point, I’m playing for fun. I get to travel the world and do what I do best – play tennis in these great arenas.

“There’s a lot of love, I’m really fortunate and just happy to be playing.”

She was also showing off her latest outfit in a post-match chat with Eurosport...

But don’t be fooled by Williams’ post-match demeanour. The 35-year-old remained her steely self on court, with a strut that can unsettle the best of opponents.

The power was there and the ability to dig deep remained. Williams took the game to Bencic, hitting 30 winners and ensuring each point was as short as the last.

A staggering 83 per cent of rallies featured four or fewer shots – a clear indication that Williams did not want to hang around.

Well this sumptuous sliced backhand winner, which you can view below…