ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2014

Serena Williams

PARIS, FRANCE

G. MUGURUZA/S. Williams
6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR:  Questions in English, please.

Q.  How did you feel on the court today?  What didn't work?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Well, I don't think anything worked for me today, which is
just nothing really worked.  I don't know anything that actually worked.

Q.  Was there anything bothering you physically at all?  Because I think I
heard you say at some point you can't serve?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, I was just --I just can't serve (smiling).  I mean, my
serve hasn't been good yet.  I can't say this whole tournament, because my
tournament didn't last long, but yeah, just in general.

Q.  Do you have any understanding of why things weren't working, or do you
have to go back and reflect?  Just one of those days?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It was one of those days.  You know, you can't be on every
day, and, gosh, I hate to be off during a Grand Slam.  It happens, you know.
 It's not the end of the world.  It is what it is.

Q.  You had beaten Garbine easily in Australia, but you said that she had
future.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, she plays really well, obviously.  I have actually
never seen her play like this.  So, you know, we'll see if she --hopefully
she can keep it up, keep her form up and continue to play like this.

Q.  How much was the potential meeting with Venus on your mind either
before...
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, it wasn't.  It wasn't really on my mind.

Q.  Were you aware of what Venus was, what was happening with Venus on center
court until what point?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I mean, I'm just walking out when she was late in the
third, so --yeah, that's it.

Q.  Can you maybe explain in a few words how tough is it for you to lose here
in Paris where you have built a special relationship to the crowd, to the
city?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Well, it's not easy.  I love it here, but there's always
next year.  At least I won't have any points to defend next year, so I look
forward to it.

Q.  You said your serve hadn't been working here.  Did you feel this coming,
though?  Did you sense that not everything was sort of in place coming into
this match?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I don't know.  Honestly, I just felt like -- you know, I
finally started practicing better, but, you know, maybe it was a little bit
too late.
Honestly, I think Garbine played really well and she played really smart.  I
didn't adapt.  It was what it was.

Q.  Did things just sort of fall apart when you got to Paris?  Because
obviously Rome you weren't at your complete best but you did win the title
there.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, maybe.  I don't know.
I don't know exactly.  I just --again, I think she played really well and she
played really smart.  You know, it's great, because I'm going to go home and
work five times as hard to make sure I never lose again.

Q.  The conditions were difficult?  The wind, especially, that's a problem?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, they weren't difficult.  Only I think in one game it
got windy, but that's it.

Q.  Are you angry with yourself or disappointed?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, I'm really happy with myself.  I feel great.  (Smiling.)
I mean, yeah.  Obviously I'm super disappointed and, you know, it's hard.  I
worked really hard.  But, hey, maybe I can do better.  I know for a fact I
can work harder.
I know for a fact I can play so much better than what I did today, so, I
mean, it's a double-edged sword.  I didn't play well, but I can play better.
If I couldn't play better I would be, I think, even more disappointed.  But I
know I can, so I know I have something to look forward to.

Q.  Well, it can happen.  This happened before to other players.  To you,
too.  Do you remember when you lost to Razzano?  You probably didn't expect
the next year to do so well when you started again one year later.  So what
is your reaction today if you think what happened in the past to you, and how
do you look to the future?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I don't know.  For me, I just feel like I don't have to win
another match, I don't have to win another tournament.  Everything and every
day is a bonus for me.
Obviously I want to do the best and I want to win and I want to be the best,
and, you know, that's my whole goal.
But, you know, it's great sometimes to like, you know, to get knocked down
because you have to get back up.  I love getting back up.  I love the
challenge.

Q.  There is no difference between today and Razzano, that day?  Do you see
any comparison?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I'm never wearing green in Paris again.  Ever (smiling).

Q.  Clearly you hate losing, but do you think at this point in your career
you handle it better mentally?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Probably not (laughter).  Not at all.  Can we just have one
more question?  I'm really frustrated.

Q.  Could you just talk a little bit about how you feel the first few months
of the season have gone and also looking ahead to the grass and what's coming
up?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  (Laughter.)  My first few months I don't think has been
great at all.  I haven't gotten past the fourth round of a Grand Slam this
year.  I have a couple words to describe it, but I think that would be really
inappropriate so I'm going to leave it at that.
Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports