According to Serena Williams, winning isn’t everything for the 17-time grand slam champion these days.

That would explain why Williams forgot to bring her tennis racquet when she took the court for her Brisbane International quarter-final on Thursday.

World No.1 Williams has adopted a more relaxed approach as she looks to back up from an extraordinary 2013 in which she won 11 titles overall, two grand slams and more than $12 million in prizemoney.

But perhaps Williams is a little too relaxed judging by her pre-match gaffe at Pat Rafter Arena.

Williams could only laugh when she went to take the court against Slovakian ninth seed Dominika Cibulkova, only to be stopped by officials and handed her racquet bag.

“I was just ready to get on this court, ready to play. I was just ready to get it started,” Williams said after her 6-3 6-3 thumping of Cibulkova.

“I don’t know. I just forget ’em. Maybe I wasn’t so ready as I thought.”

Brisbane defending champion Williams was hardly fazed, powering past Cibulkova in just over an hour to book a semi-final showdown with arch rival Maria Sharapova.

Williams hoped her cool-headed response set the tone for 2014.

“I don’t care about going out there and winning,” she said.

“It’s just about playing relaxed and staying completely focused but realising that things could be different.

Williams admitted she did not recognise herself when she recently watched replays of her surge toward the 2013 French Open title.

“My God, who was that girl? I was so intense,” she said.

“Just watching my matches is just like a complete outer body experience.

“I really am just a completely different person off the court.”