Transcript of Serena Williams interview, 31 May
Saturday, June 1, 2013


Q. It seems to still be going pretty well and routine for you so far.

SERENA WILLIAMS: So far it's okay. Just taking every match a little bit at a
time and just trying to stay focused for every match.

Q. Is it something that you think you're doing or you're psyched out the
opponents before they even are stepping on the court?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not at all. I think everyone, when they step out to play
me, I feel like they really bring their A game. And I think, you know, I just
have to get really pumped up for everything to a point where I want to win,
you know, as much as I can out there, whether it's every point or just do the
best that I can do. That's pretty much what I try to do.

Q. You're on a career-high winning streak. Do you put much stock in that? Is
that something you think about or care about? Does it tell you something
about your level or is it not in the forefront of your mind?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I actually don't think about it, and after every match
I'm reminded. And, ironically enough, I forget about it as soon as it's done.
I don't think it's about a winning streak. I think it's about winning
important matches and winning the right matches at the right time.

Q. Does it help having someone working with you who is French? Last year you
and Patrick hooked up afterwards, started working together. Does it help to
have someone who sort of understands the French culture, the French, you
know, language or are all these things helpful to you in any way on the court?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think what's most important is having someone that just
understands the game more than anything. I think, you know, being whether he
was French or English or Australian, with those majors, I think that that's
always a plus, but I don't think it's a turning point.

Q. You didn't hit a dropshot today. You ended the match with a dropshot?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I did, I did. I hit two. One went out, though. I felt like I
was in a good position to try it, and, you know, I had nothing to lose, so I
went for it.

Q. Did you know when you called Patrick it was going to be this successful?
Did you know a lot about him or that this partnership would kind of work?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not at all. I didn't know it would be this successful. I
honestly just thought I just needed a place to hit, to be honest, and I'm an
open individual. I'm kind of open to a lot of different things, and I was
just - I liked some of his suggestions, so it was just like we can try to
work together and see how it goes.

Q. So just big picture, are you enjoying the dream? I mean, do you ever step
back and say, Hey, being Serena Williams ain't too shabby? Got a great family
thing going and traveling the world, enjoying your sport, the celebrity, the
fun times? Do you ever say, Hey, this is pretty decent?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not once, I don't think so. I think it's important to kind
of reflect on those moments, but I don't know. I'm always just so intense and
so, like, focused and so like busy I don't think about anything else. For me
it's not about the celebrity. It's just about doing what I can do, and
anything else that comes with it is I guess a bonus. But for me I'm just a
regular old person that just lives with my sister.

Q. But do you like that you're an athlete who is in a position just to
express so many parts of yourself and to grow in so many ways?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I do. I love that, and like I always said, I love how I have
been blessed to have an opportunity not only to do that, but I'm in a space
where I can help others, as well, and do different charity work too and
different things that I believe in. For me, I really feel like it's a good
space to be in. I really like that.

Q. Having not won this tournament since 2002, in 2013 is this kind of your
No.1 priority in the slams now because you have won everything else
regularly, but is this kind of the big focus?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Every slam is really my priority. I would love to win this
one, but there is still a lot of people in the draw that would love to win
this tournament, as well. I'm just one of those. For me, it's just about
focusing in on not just this particular one, but I think all four of them.

Q. Since you recently tweeted out your picture that you drew the other day,
if there - is there any artist that you would particularly would have liked
to have met or received instruction from if you could?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm not - no, because - you know, there is a guy
actually on PBS, and I think he draws. You know that guy? I would love to
take lessons from that guy.

Q. I think he's dead.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh. Oh.

Q. He's great, though, but he's dead.

SERENA WILLIAMS:  Well, oops.

Q. It was an open-ended question. Dead, alive.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, okay. I love his personality. I love how he makes
shading and he does like a lot of artwork. It seems to be like he could work
with real beginners like me, and, like, seems very basic, like, wow, I can do
this too kind of thing. That would have been nice. (Laughter.)

Q: Can you tell us about your new little addition to the family?

SERENA WILLIAMS: That's what I thought you were talking about when you said
picture, Doug. Well, I tweeted the cutest picture of him. He just got a
haircut, because he didn't like the Paris rain so much, so he got some knots
on him. So we had to shave him. His name is Chip, and I love him a lot. Is
that what you're talking about?

Q. Yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, he's just a bundle of joy.

Q. How does Jackie feel about him?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Jackie. Jackie ignores him. She ignores everybody. She has a
bad attitude, but a great dog.

Q. How old?

SERENA WILLIAMS: He just turned one.

Q. Can you say how much difficulties for yourself, the level you are, the
matches you play, the titles you won, to be concentrate, be focus in a first
match like this? I mean, you won easily finally, so how difficult is every
time with so many things you are, your head, different things, big
personality, many things you think about, and then to be concentrate for one
hour, two hours against an opponent which is not a star, not playing the
final, how much tough it is?

SERENA WILLIAMS: For me it's not difficult. I mean, she's out there to do her
best, and I'm out there to do my best, and we both want to win. For me, it's
really those moments you really have to focus in, and it's those moments
that, you know, considering to be focused two or three hours a day isn't so
bad, you know. So I just try to do that.