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AFP, 15 January 2010, 09:59am IST
Now ranked 14, the statuesque 22-year-old said the injury layoff taught her never to take anything for granted.
"You realise how fortunate you are to get back," she told reporters at the Hong Kong Classic team tournament.
"Obviously I stepped away because I had to. It was frustrating -- very frustrating. And boring ... But there is no better healer than time."
And with the competitive juices again flowing, she is confident that she can make an impact in Melbourne.
"I keep getting stronger. I'm ready for the challenges in Australia -- mentally and physically. I have great memories of the tournament and I'm sure it will be great to be back," she said.
"When you're doing something you love, you're a champion, you're good at it and you don't have it for a while. To get it back, to get that feeling back as a competitor, it's always great."
Despite having slipped down the rankings, Sharapova, a three-time major winner, insists she is not focused on getting the accolade back, instead just concentrating on staying healthy and winning matches.
"I don't think too much about rankings, or even look them," she said on her website.
"I know if I can stay healthy, good things will happen on the tennis court."
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