“That’s something I don’t take for granted,” Williams added. “Maybe other people don’t understand that, but I do.”

After making her Asian return against Austrian world No 53 Tagger following seven years away from the continent, Williams will compete at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium for the first time since 2017, when, as No 2 seed, she was ousted by Naomi Osaka in round two.

Acknowledging that losing 16 consecutive matches “isn’t ideal”, Williams said: “I’ve been a competitor my entire life and nobody likes losing, certainly not me. But I think, sometimes, people look at results and forget that there’s a much bigger picture.

“For years, I was dealing with health issues, including Sjogren’s syndrome and fibroids, and there were long periods when I couldn’t play tennis on my own terms.

“My body was making decisions for me. Illness was dictating what I could do, when I could train, when I could compete and, sometimes, whether I could even get out on the court.”

Williams has seven major singles titles, winning Wimbledon five times between 2000 and 2008, and the US Open in 2000 and 2001.

In the 32nd year of her career, after making her tournament debut at 14 in 1994, she has competed in 13 singles tournaments in 2026.

Williams has recently had slightly more joy in doubles – a format in which she has claimed 16 grand slam titles – winning matches this year alongside Katie Boulter, Alexandra Eala and Diana Shnaider, who are all in this year’s Hong Kong Open draw.

In Guangzhou, Williams and Indonesia’s Janice Tjen have advanced to a quarter-final against the Ukrainian-Japanese pair of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Makoto Ninomiya.

“I still love this game,” Williams said. “I love seeing the fans, catching up with people I’ve known for years, meeting new people and getting to play doubles with different partners. I enjoy working with my team and trying to improve. There are still things I want to work on, still challenges I enjoy.”

Williams first visited Hong Kong as an 18-year-old in 1999, when she won the now-defunct Super-Power Challenge Cup.

She competed in multiple tournaments in the city during the noughties, then reached the semi-finals on her Hong Kong Open debut in 2015, losing in three sets to eventual champion Jelena Jankovic. Williams was beaten by Alize Cornet in round two the following year.

“It’s my life, my game and my job,” Williams said. “Do I need to be out there? No, of course not. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a career where I don’t need to play another tennis match. I’m very aware of that.

“But if me playing gives fans another opportunity to watch me, if it brings spectators into the stands, if I get to visit new places or return to places I love, and tournaments are still happy to have me, then why shouldn’t I continue? I’m happy doing what I’m doing.”

Williams and sister Serena, the owner of 39 grand slam titles, rekindled the doubles partnership that garnered 14 majors and three Olympic golds for this year’s US Open, losing a tight first-round match to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching.

Her appearance in Guangzhou marked Williams’ first competitive outing since Flushing Meadows in September, and she left open to speculation the question of how long she would carry on.

“Will I still be playing in six months? A year? Two years? Who knows? I certainly don’t have a date circled on the calendar,” the 2000 Olympic singles champion said.

“But right now, I’m happy. I’m enjoying being on the court. I’m enjoying the work with my team, and, physically, I’m in a place where I can do that. So while I feel this way, I’ll continue.”

Tennis has witnessed multiple high-profile early retirements, from Bjorn Bjorg quitting at 26 after winning 11 grand slams, to a 25-year-old Justine Henin walking away after winning seven majors, and Martina Hingis first quitting, aged 22, with five grand-slam titles.

Andy Roddick, the former world No 1 and 2003 US Open champion, announced his retirement on his 30th birthday.

Williams, however, said that “people sometimes get too caught up in what an athlete is supposed to do, or when they’re supposed to stop”.

Currently down at world No 599, and relying on wild cards to compete on the WTA Tour, she added: “There’s this expectation that you reach a certain age, or your results change, and suddenly everyone else gets to decide that your time is over.

“Well, I’ve never really followed the crowd, have I? I’ve never lived my life according to what other people expected of me. I’ve always been my own person, I’ve always had my own mind and I believe everyone is entitled to their own journey.”