ROLAND GARROS

September 28, 2020

Serena Williams

Paris, France

Press Conference

S. WILLIAMS/K. Ahn

7-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Popularity of tennis, I don't know whether you know this, but your US Open
final with Naomi last year was viewed by more people than THE Dominic
Thiem/Zverev final this year. Because you're such a big name in tennis across
the world, how do you build a brand outside of tennis so that people are
aware of you, and two, is there anyone on the tour, man or woman, that you
think can build that level of brand when you and Roger and Rafa have retired?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think brand building is really authentic. You really have
to be able to be authentically, you, the customer, customers, and people and
media, and even friends and family can see something that's not real
eventually. So I think that's something that's different.

If you're real and you have something that you're really passionate about,
then you want to do it, I think that's the key, No. 1 thing, if you want to
build a brand.

Q. How would you grade yourself, characterize your play today? What do you
think was the biggest difference for you between that tight first set and the
way you played in the second set?

SERENA WILLIAMS: The biggest difference was just confidence. I just need to
play with more confidence, like I'm Serena.

So that was it. I just started playing like that. And I love the clay and I
started playing like it, opening the court and moving and sliding.

I do think her level dropped a little bit in the beginning of the first set
and I took advantage of that. I think her level was so high in the first set
that I just needed to lift my level more than what I did.

Q. Your Achilles, the injury you sustained at the US Open, how did you manage
that during the course of a two-week tournament? What particular protocols do
you put into place? How was the Achilles today in that match?

SERENA WILLIAMS: A ton of prayer. I'm doing so much for it. I did so much for
it at Patrick's academy, like I went straight from New York directly to his
academy and started rehabbing it.

Yeah, so one of the reasons I came into press a little bit earlier than
normal, because I need to get back and start the protocol all over again. So
just kind of just rehab that, laser, ice, just a lot, a lot of stuff on it.

Q. I found it interesting to hear you say confidence was an issue. Serena
Williams, with everything you have done, how often does that happen? Could
you explain a little more what way that affects you or affected you today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think for me, I have put so much perfectionist into my
habits that if it's not perfect, then it's not enough for me. That is
something I have been working on.

So I feel like, you know, I was able to get over that in the recent past
couple of months, really, just since COVID restarted -- not restarted.
Anyway, so I feel like that has been what I needed to just deal with, just
understand that my level of greatness is sometimes crazy high and a win is a
win.

Q. Obviously there were two different sets today. I was wondering, what was
the range of the racquets and string that you had in your bag? What
adjustment did you do between the first and second sets? Obviously there was
the confidence, the game, but there was adaptations on the racquet you were
using?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. They are all strung the same. I was just changing them
as the new balls, which is something I never do. My coach wanted me to do
that because it's clay and I'm using a lot more spin than I normally did.

Q. When you said what you said to Howard, it reminded me that 'perfect' is
the enemy of 'good'. Sounds like...

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, right?

Q. We could all learn that. Anyway, I was wondering, is the second serve
harder to execute than the first?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, for me I don't think it's harder to execute, if you look
at how many double faults I hit typically. You know, if anything, I would say
for me sometimes it's easier.

Obviously it depends on the day, but generally -- I don't know, for whatever
reason, I'm good with my second serve.

Q. You just used the word 'perfect'. Have you ever played a perfect match? If
so, which one? Is it possible?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, that's the thing, right? You don't play that many
perfect matches. That's one thing I have been working on in this offseason
loosely. But it's just understanding that I have to let go of that -- I don't
know the word I'm looking for -- expectation.

That doesn't mean I'm lowering my expectations. It just means I'm having
realistic expectations of not winning every point, every game, every shot
(smiling).

Yeah, so it sounds crazy, but, you know, that's me and that's what makes me
me. I'm me. I'm Serena. At some point I'm always going to have some level of
perfection, but I just need to have a more reasonable level so I cannot put
so much stress on me mentally.

Q. You had a super tough match with Pironkova in New York. What are your
thoughts of playing her again so soon?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm okay with it. She's playing well, but I am too. I'm
ready to play her. She'll be ready to play me. It will be a long match, she
will get a lot of balls back, but so am I. I'll be ready.

Q. We often ask you about Margaret Court and No. 24. Another player here,
Rafael Nadal has a chance to equal the Grand Slam record that Roger Federer
holds. Just wanted to ask your perspective on what significance that might
have in the discussion about greatest men's player and what significance that
would hold if Rafa can reach Roger's number of 20? Still trailing you, of
course.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don't know. I don't get involved in the greatest
talk. You know, the greatest for me is and will always be Jesus, so I'm going
to leave it at that.

But I think Rafa, I'm obviously a huge fan of his. I always have been. But
it's like you can't compare two people that are equally great. Roger, I mean,
he's Roger Federer. I think that says enough (smiling).

So, you know, it's like I don't understand why people want to pit who's this,
who's that? They both have spectacular careers that 99% of people can only
dream of and they both deserve. Every single credit and every single thing
that they get they absolutely deserve it.

I'm a big fan of both, to be honest, so... Yeah.

Q. When you struggle with your second serve, is it typically mental,
physical, or technical?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Are you getting me mixed up with someone else? I don't
struggle on my second serve (smiling).

Q. On those rare occasions when you have a double fault, let's put it that
way -- I know this is very rare, but is there usually an underlying issue you
can easily rectify or is it sometimes a mystery?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think for me, I mean, I definitely had a real struggle
with second serve last year in the Open, in fact. Serve, period. But I think
for me it's definitely more -- what was the last one you said, mental?

Q. Mental, technical, or physical, like maybe just fatigue.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Definitely not fatigue. I think it would be more mental,
because my brain is, like, Oh, my God, I never miss this.

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