After a decade of underachieving on clay, Serena Williams says she’s determined to boost her record on the surface before she retires.

Williams first claimed the Roland Garros title back in 2002 during a year of supreme dominance that saw her hold all four Grand Slams at the same time in January 2003, a feat dubbed the “Serena Slam.” In the years that followed, injuries and inconsistency took their toll as Williams repeatedly found herself outmanoeuvred and outfought on the dirt by the skillful Justine Henin.

It took the arrival of Patrick Mouratoglou to really transform her into a force on the surface and during an outstanding 2013, she devoured every single clay-court title of note. These days she admits she’s slightly nonplussed as to why she wasn’t able to enjoy such sustained success in the past.

“I don't know what clicked or didn't click,” Serena shrugged after beating Alize Lim 6-2, 6-1. “I grew up on hard courts, and then when I turned 10 I played only clay until I turned pro. I have the capability of playing on clay, so I don't know why I wasn't more consistent on clay before.”

Under Mouratoglou, Williams has become far more single-minded and dedicated to the perfection of her craft with the growing realization that the clock is slowly ticking on her long and illustrious career. Another victory in Paris this year would take her to 18 Grand Slam titles, level with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert in the Hall of Fame.

“Right now, I want to play more.  I want to do better. I’m just focusing on tennis. That's the only thing I can say which has really changed. I didn't really change my game.  I'm not trying to say hit less winners on clay. You know, I just pretty much do the same thing.”

After winning in Miami last month, Williams’ clay-court season had been disrupted by injury, but she confirmed her status as the favorite for Roland Garros with a commanding series of performance on the way to the Rome title.

“It was important for me to win in Rome because I didn't get to play as much clay as I did last year.  I had to stop in Madrid early, so I wasn't even sure if I was going to play Rome. Then to pull out the win gave me a lot of confidence.  I got a lot of matches in there and I needed those matches.  It just feels really good to be at this point in my career and playing as defending champion in Paris. I like being seeded No. 1.  The favorite part is definitely more pressure.  But as Billie Jean King tells me, pressure is a privilege.”

Williams hasn’t always been a crowd favorite in Paris, but over the years she’s gradually endeared herself to the French public, even delivering part of her victory speech in the language last year.

“I hope my French has improved since then,” she giggled. “I really do. We'll see how it goes.  Hopefully I'll get to do an after‑match interview.”

You can follow David’s thoughts on the French Open on Twitter: http://www. twitter.com/dcwriter89