Jennifer Capriati [ Images ] said on Monday she feared a back injury suffered at the end of last season could have ended her career.

The former world number one opens her season this week at the Dubai [ Images ] Open, her first tournament since the WTA Championships in November.

"It was kind of serious there for a while," she said of her injury. "I thought a couple of times maybe if it's not getting any better, what if I can't come back and play?

"That thought scared me, but it's a good thing to feel that way, that I still wanted it. I want to decide when it's going to be over, and I wasn't ready for that.

Capriati is seeded third in Dubai behind Justine Henin-Hardenne and Venus Williams [ Images ] and said although the enforced break had done her good, she was anxious to compete again.

"For the first month after the Championships I didn't do anything. I'd injured myself pretty good there. I think it was the wear and tear of the past couple of years," she said.

"It was physically and mentally draining, and I needed a good break and just wanted to stay home. But afterwards, you're so used to travelling that you start to get a bit bored because you've been doing it your whole life.

"The following month I started to get back into it, but there was no way I was going to rush it. I missed being able to play in Australia [ Images ], but I figured it's a long year and I'm not going to make every single tournament."

Capriati has a bye to the second round in Dubai and will begin her campaign on Wednesday against Australia's Nicole Pratt or Slovenia's Tina Pisnik.