AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2003

Venus Williams

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

Q. Venus, how much does this hurt given you were very close this time?

VENUS WILLIAMS: They all are not fun to lose, to be honest. This one isn't
any different.

Q. It was a very high-standard match. You seemed to appear to play close to
the top of your game. I suppose my question is, what do you have to do
different to beat Serena?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she played really well and she made me hit a lot of
balls. But I think that I kind of backed off my game, wasn't nearly as
aggressive as I was my other matches. It's just hard to be -- not to be
aggressive in the beginning then change your whole game around in the later
part of the match. But, you know, I'll just keep working and moving forward.

Q. Is it just the occasion that made you sort of back off a little bit than
you the other days?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think the other days I just came out moving forward. This
time I didn't basically. I didn't have as many short balls either. At least I
didn't feel like I did. Maybe I did and I just didn't notice.

Q. Was the sensation different out there? Did this match feel different than
the ones you've played in the other Slam finals, the way the match evolved as
well?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it was just because the roof was closed. It's a
little weird playing a final in an outdoor tournament indoors. So it does
change the mood a lot. It feels more or less like a night match instead of a
day match.

Q. Would the fact that you've played her so many times now in big matches,
did that make it less pressure-filled or less complex a match psychologically
than previous matches?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

Q. Do you sort of get fed up with this sensation? It's four in a row now.

VENUS WILLIAMS: What sensation?

Q. Of losing to Serena in a Grand Slam final.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't like losing altogether, so if it was Serena or any
other player. It's just never fun. I'm never going to the finals, saying,
"Yes, I'm losing today." I'm going with the attitude I'm going to go out
there, do my best and try to take the title. That's definitely my attitude
going on to the court every time, is positive.

Q. Are you glad that the roof was closed as far as the heat?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was. It was very hot out there. I guess it can get
quite dangerous, especially since a lot of players are -- well, every player
is coming from a winter climate. So it can be very, very challenging. I guess
it was extremely hot this time.

Q. With the double-faults which came at pretty bad times, a couple of them,
was that a self-belief thing almost?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I just -- I didn't have that many, but I guess sometimes
it did put me down in the game. But never had a game point against me or
anything like that. But obviously there's going to be some mistakes
sometimes. Hopefully, less than -- less mistakes than most times, I guess.

Q. After your last Grand Slam you seemed sort of a little tired by the whole
scene. I think you said you were going to get away from the hype. Now, with a
light fall schedule and six good matches heading up to this, what's your sort
of enthusiasm level for tennis right now?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm really enthused. It's my job. If I'm not playing tennis,
it's my main pursuit at this point, so I would like to continue and go on
with my next tournaments. And basically I'll just keep improving, go home and
go practice.

Q. Overall, obviously not the result you wanted today, but not even having
dropped a set heading into this, overall do you take positives away?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess so. I had a doubles title. I'll take that away
(laughing).

Q. Could you put Serena's achievement in perspective, somebody who knows the
history of the game. Talk about that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, not many people get all four Slams, so that's really
wonderful. It really is.

Q. Do you think it's a real Grand Slam, or is it only calendar year that
should be considered that way?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I never thought about it too much. I mean, it's not
like I was winning it (laughing). So I think more or less it was on Serena's
mind because she had been able to do all that - all those wins. But that
really wasn't on my mind. Four in a row is not easy. Well, it's fun.

Q. You said on the court after the match that you wanted to be like Serena.
Is there anything right now that you think marks her apart from you in some
way?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think right now she's just probably a little mentally
tougher out there than I was today. I think maybe that's the main thing
that's dropped off in me. Usually I would just really get in there and take a
match like that, normally. I'm going to work on it, I'm going to fight and
I'm going to concentrate.

Q. When you and Serena are practicing, do you just drill? Did you ever play
points?

VENUS WILLIAMS: We play points. We don't really keep score.

Q. The crowd were pretty much behind you. What did you make of that? Why do
you think that was?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't really hear it. I don't really hear a lot of it. I
can hear it maybe especially if they're against me. But I thought it was
pretty even. I wasn't paying much attention.

Q. Through conversations with Serena, were you aware that she was desperate
to get the Grand Slam? I mean, did you talk about it much?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No. We don't talk about Grand Slams a lot. No, I didn't know
if she was desperate at all. I don't think she was desperate. I'm sure she
was really aiming at it. Why not?

Q. Just wanted to ask you, there was a news reporting in Belgium regarding
something to do with Kim Clijsters. I wanted to get your opinion on it. Her
dad Leo said that in three years he thought she'd be off the court. In his
view it was because of the length of the tour and the amount it takes out of
players. I wanted to ask you whether, firstly, you're surprised by that news?
Secondly, do you think she might go off the tour?

VENUS WILLIAMS: In another three years she's going to be finished?

Q. That's what he said, yes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's an interesting comment. I mean, obviously as a
parent he's quite concerned about his daughter - and with good reason. I also
think that the tour is too long. If you're young, for example, I've been
working very hard all of my life. Not only do you work on the court, but you
work off the court. It's impossible to expect people to be able to play
eleven months out of the year, not only the matches, but when you go home. If
you're not training, you're going to lose when you do go out to play. It is
unreasonable in my opinion. I won't push myself to any level I feel I can't
achieve personally. That's just the way I play my schedule. You know, if you
don't play a tournament, people are yelling and screaming this and that. But
in the end, players have to take care of themselves and choose what's best.

Q. Do you hope that she does play beyond three years?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I do. I think it would be a good thing. I hope, you
know, all the players are around who play quite a while. When players are off
the tour or a little injury, it gets to be that you miss playing them,
especially if they're at the top.

Q. What about Martina Hingis, Venus?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I hope she comes back also. I mean, I haven't played her in I
don't know how long. I just think that she needs probably a break. She's been
playing since she was 14, nonstop, more tournaments than what I could imagine
to enter. I think, you know, she'll take some time and hopefully she'll come
back better than ever.

Q. Do you think that's one of the things that keeps you so fresh? In
comparison to say Jelena, play half as many?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Jelena?

Q. Dokic. Sorry. I threw a name out.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Normally if I'm playing a tournament, I do at least get to
the finals, hopefully win the tournament. That helps me a lot to play a
little less, and also mentally and physically it is more draining to compete
at a high level always. But I was never encouraged to play a lot by my
parents. I was always encouraged to make sure I take myself first, because if
I still play, if I don't play, if I live or die, the tour continues. I just
think that I'll be taking care of myself. But I'll be playing a lot more
tournaments.

Q. How does it make you feel when your younger sister questions calls and
yells and slams her racquet when she's playing?

VENUS WILLIAMS: That's fine. She's always questioning calls and yells and
slams the racquet. I'm more or less the one that's kind of silent.

Q. Do you think she sees you as another opponent across the net and you still
see Serena?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I never really yell or slam my racquet. She has to see me
as another opponent. These are major championships at stake. This is history,
a career. When we look back, we want to be legends and go into the Hall of
Fame. We're both trying to win the matches, especially ones like this.

Q. You said that she was a bit mentally stronger. Do you feel that, in
reference to that, do you feel that she's got a bit of a mean streak?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just think it's the momentum, really. When you're on top,
you're on top. Really that's the way it is, so... I guess it's just a feeling
that you can only explain once you've been there. If any of you guys have
been at the very top, or competed in a sport, you'd understand.

Q. How do you stop that run of momentum?

VENUS WILLIAMS: How do I stop it, is not my main interest.

Q. She said before the French Open last year that she had the number of Grand
Slams you won in her head. It was motivating for her. She's won five. You've
won four. Is it motivating to you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's motivating for me. I don't want to be the player that
won four Grand Slams, whether she wins five or 15. When you look at the great
players who have won 20 and all those kinds of numbers, I still have a long
way to go - and not much time, so (laughing). I started a little late. So I
definitely have to start racking them up somehow.

Q. Does it help to stay optimistic when the same thing keeps happening?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, definitely when you lose, you're more motivated. When you
win, you fail to see your mistakes and probably no one can tell you anything,
that kind of thing. But when you lose, you see your mistakes, they're right
in your face. You realize, "Yeah, it's true." So...

Q. What did you say to each other after the match?

VENUS WILLIAMS: "Good match."

Q. What will you do tonight?

VENUS WILLIAMS: What will I do? Well, the first thing I'll do is I'll go to
McDonald's. I want my double cheese burger with French fries and a soda. Yes.
Second, of course I'll pack my bags and maybe I'll have a dessert (laughing).
Things like that.

Q. When you talked about it's a matter of momentum, you're presumably are
talking from experience of having won those four. It just comes with winning?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think so. I win a lot, so I understand that when you
are winning, then it's just a certain confidence that you have, especially if
you're winning the large titles. You go into the match really knowing that,
"I've got it. I have this experience. I did it just a month ago. I'll do it
again." That's good. But the best part is that, you know, I have some of that
experience, too, to be able to win the big ones. It's a good thing to keep in
the back pocket.

Q. Third set, you won the second set, momentum was in your favor. You come
out and she saves a breakpoint. You played a weak service game. Even though
you broke her back later, was that a pivotal part of the match for you, do
you think?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so. I think we played pretty even. Every
now and then both of us would have some weak games and then sometimes we'd
have some really strong holds or a good break. But, no, I think sometimes
when you get a break early it's easier to break back as far as if you get a
break late in the set.

Q. Would you consider going outside of the fold to get a competitive
advantage, maybe some extra coaching or a different path to maybe, as I said,
give you that competitive edge?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I couldn't deal with a coach. I like my mom and dad
because they're really laid back. Once we leave the court, we don't talk
about tennis, strategy, all that. The coach, if I hired a coach, they'd want
to talk about strategy, scout other players, they'd want to do all that stuff
that I don't want to do. They wouldn't be able to tell me anything, we'd get
in an argument and it wouldn't be good. I really like my current situation. I
think that once mom and dad get tired, I think Serena and I will kind of
coach each other (laughter). I don't want a coach.But my parents are good.
They know that at least I work better when I can make my own plan. When I'm
playing, I don't look up in my box or anything like that. It's all about me
at that point. I don't like too much instruction because I can think on my
own. Maybe I'm different from other players that need a lot of support. I
think Serena is the same.

Q. Can you still, at times, take advice from other people?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Like...?

Q. I don't know, Fed Cup with Billie Jean.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, Billie Jean is great. Sometimes people can say things
in a different way that really gets you to understand it or it paints a
better picture in your mind, sure. That's nice also.

Q. What are you going to read on the plane tomorrow? Maybe sleep?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'll read, maybe study. But it just depends. Watch a movie.