(CBS News)
Serena Williams returns to defend her Wimbledon title today after suffering a near career-ending foot injury and life-threatening blood clots in her lungs.
"Early Show" Contributor and former professional tennis player Justin Gimelstob reported on the broadcast Tuesday it was an emotional day at the tournament, with Williams taking center court again. He noted it's a tradition for the defending champion to start things off there, and it was a welcome sight for many people who feared they never would see her on the court again, after a year of ongoing health problems for the star.
Gimelstob reported it was just a year ago that Williams stood atop the tennis world. A dominating performance at the tournament earned her a fourth Wimbledon title and 13th Grand Slam championship.
Since then, it's been anything but a Grand Slam season. Just days after her victory last summer, Williams suffered a career-threatening injury to her right foot that required two surgeries and kept her off the court for much of the past year.
In a recent interview in London, Gimelstob asked the tennis star, "At any point, did you think that maybe you were done, that you wouldn't be able to play tennis again?"
Williams replied, "Yeah, because it's like when you fix something and you have to go back and fix it again. It's like the chances of success drops. I pretty much do everything on my toes or on my feet and, you know, it's just a really scary moment. And I was in a cast for 20 weeks and it was just difficult, because I hate sitting still. I'm always on the move, and I'm always, I have things to do. Life had to pretty much stop for 20 weeks for me, and that was very difficult."
But things were about to get even more difficult. At age 29, Williams' life nearly ended. In February, she underwent emergency treatment for a pulmonary embolism, or multiple blood clots that traveled to both her lungs.
Gimelstob said of the time, "You said that you were literally on your death bed at that point?"
Williams said, "I was in a special area where they had heart monitors on me, because they wanted to make sure that my heart didn't overwork. ... That was hard, because had I not made it, had I not been forced to go to the hospital, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. And that's a scary thought. It was like kind of eye-opening. I was kind of like, 'OK, I need to get serious,' just about my life, like life for me is precious, and you realize that it's a gift and it's something that you definitely want to take care of, and I'm fortunate to have it."
Williams is hoping to reverse her fortunes and reclaim her No. 1 ranking, which plummeted to 25 in her year away from tennis. She credits her comeback to the outpouring of support she received from family, friends, and fans.
"Everyone was so supportive," she said. "And just people around the world just sent me so many flowers and just notes and just, you know, get well wishes, and it just really was an amazing feeling to know that, it made me want to come back; I mean, it's the only reason I'm here is because of all those well wishes, because I wanted to just get back and just, just do well for everyone."
Today, Williams takes center court for only the second time in 50 weeks, defending her Wimbledon title with a new-found appreciation for life and the game she loves.
"It was just a string of things that kept happening," she said. "And now, I'm here at Wimbledon a year later. It's funny what can happen in a year."
Gimelstob said, "You're one of the greatest champions, you've won huge tournaments with very little practice. What can we expect from you? I mean, you've done the miraculous so many times."
Williams said, "I just expect to step out on center court and take a deep breath and take it all in and enjoy that moment and smile and have many more moments."
Williams was cleared to play by her doctors two-and-a-half months ago, when they found no clots in her lungs.