"This is my career," the American former world number one told reporters on Wednesday. "This is my job. I'm lucky, not to say blessed, to be able to do this for a living."

"I see it as two separate careers, and I want to do both, but tennis is definitely number one right now."

Serena, who meets Spain's Marta Marrero in the second round on Friday, has not hit a ball competitively since she beat her sister Venus in the Wimbledon final last July.

She had surgery on an injured knee on August 1 and in September she and Venus suffered a family bereavement when their sister, Yetunde Price, was killed in Los Angeles.

Serena has also been spending her time actively pursuing a career in television and film. She is signed up to the William Morris casting agency and has had roles in TV shows including Law and Order and The Division.

"I'm doing more television work at the moment because I'm only available at certain times, whereas movies need you to be there for weeks at a time."

"I've been doing a lot of drama, which I like, but I've been thinking lately I might like to do some comedy."

PLENTIFUL FOOD

Despite her ever-growing celebrity status, Serena says she is very clear on her priority. That "for now at least" is tennis.

"It's not like there are a lot of acting jobs at the moment and I can't take them because I have this job," she said.

"I would never say I'm not going to this tournament or that tournament because of acting. I would never, ever do that."

Looking lean and toned despite her long absence from the court, Serena said there was one major downside to acting work though, the on-set catering.

"The hardest thing about being on set is definitely the amount they feed you. They just have so much food.

"I'm like 'how can you be an actress and still stay trim?'"

Serena has also been busy with her own clothing line, Aneres, which will be providing the dress for Miss New Jersey in this year's Miss America beauty contest.

"Up until now it's been me or Venus who have been the models, but they said they just fell in love with our stuff," she said.

Serena, who has dropped from being at the top of the rankings to her current position of number six, is still top seed for the $3.06 million tournament which she won last year.

World number one Justine Henin-Hardenne has opted to miss the event while fellow Belgian and number two Kim Clijsters is absent because of a wrist injury suffered during the Pacific Life Open last week.