Serena Williams has entered Australian Open, says tournament director

Serena Williams won her seventh Australian Open in January while newly pregnant

Serena Williams has entered the Australian Open in January, tournament director Craig Tiley has said.

The 36-year-old won this year's event in Melbourne while in the early weeks of pregnancy and gave birth to a daughter in September.

Tiley told the Herald Sun the 23-time Grand Slam winner is "very likely" to return to tennis in Melbourne.

"She's got her visa, she's entered, she's practising," he said. "There's no question she'll be ready in our view."

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Williams, who has won the Australian Open seven times, has posted on social media that she has returned to training.

Australia's Margaret Court, with 24, is the only player still ahead of Serena in terms of Grand Slam singles titles.

"She wants to break a record that is Margaret Court's," added Tiley. "It would be a pretty significant accomplishment for her to be able to do that."