Serena Williams: 5 Reasons Serena Won't Dominate Aussie Open 2012

American tennis sensation Serena Williams enters the the 2012 Australian Open in Melbourne with a cloud of doubt looming over her head, and for good reason. Williams has not won a Slam event since 2010 and is only getting older.

A foot injury sidelined Williams during the early part of the season last year, causing her to miss the 2011 Australian Open and the 2011 French Open.

Although she will be a favorite on the women's bracket heading into the two-week long event, domination won't be nearly as likely as most believe.

Here are five reasons why Serena Williams will struggle at the 2012 Aussie Open:

No. 1. Age

Williams is 30 years old heading into the 2012 Aussie Open and that doesn't bode well for her chances at domination. Odd as it may sound tennis becomes a much tougher sport at 30 than it is at 29. Williams has the most wins at the Aussie Open of any woman after 1968 and has not won there since 2010, meaning her time to dominate is all but over.

No. 2. Past Injuries

At some point Williams' past injuries will come back to nag her on the court. She missed 11 months of tennis after suffering a foot injury in July 2010. Williams eventually suffered from a hematoma and a pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage of the main artery of the lung. Both injuries share a critical relationship with the demands of tennis.

No. 3. Slam Drought

Williams was oh-so-close to winning the 2011 US Open last year, but fell short to eventual champion Samantha Stosur in the final match. That loss extended her Slam drought to five major tournaments.

As mentioned earlier, the last Slam tourney Williams won was 2010 Wimbledon. That lack of success has no doubt banged up her confidence and created some rust on her racquet. Williams played just 11 Slam matches in 2011, compared to 19 in 2010.

No. 4. Lack of Desire

Williams shocked the tennis world earlier this year when she revealed that her passion for tennis may be dissolving.

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"I don't love tennis today, but I'm here, and I can't live without it, it's not that I've fallen out of love. I've actually never liked sports, and I never understood how I became an athlete. I don't like working out. I don't like anything that has to do with working physically." - Serena Williams via TennisNow.com.

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Clearly Williams is not as focused on the game these days, especially considering she has been involved heavily in non-related ventures such as fashion. That lack of focus and fire will hold her back in Melbourne.

No. 5. Nothing Left to Prove

Serena Williams will go down as one of the greatest tennis players of all-time, not just female but in general. She has 27 career Slam titles, which is good enough for ninth all-time in history. Her 13 individual Grand Slam wins are among the most of any woman also.

As Williams ages and finds new interests in life, she is likely to realize how much she already accomplished in the sport and how little there is left for her to prove.