WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2003

Serena Williams

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND

MODERATOR: Good afternoon, Serena Williams for you.

Q.. You look like a happy girl.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I'm in the finals of Wimbledon, so that's always
exciting.

Q.. A little more than just always exciting. What's that like?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, people do that every day (smiling).

Q.. Given the match history with Justine, what feeling did you have on the
court during the match, and what did you feel when the match was over?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I just -- the only feeling I had on the court was to
look at the ball and stay low and do all the right techniques. That was
basically mostly what I felt out there.

Q.. Can you describe your interaction at the end of the match with Justine.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was normal, with any other player. I have no problems
with any player on the WTA Tour.

Q.. What was the big difference do you think in this match and the one in
Paris?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I just played a little better. I knew what I was
going to have to do was play better, because Justine's playing really well.
Mostly, I served -- I still only had 66 percent, but it's more than what I
had at the French Open. I think more than anything, I served better. And I
think going into any match, any surface, any tournament, I have to serve
pretty well.

Q.. Do you agree that this was close to perfection?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Let's look at the stats.

Q.. But you played some incredible tennis. You made some incredible winners.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I played well. She also played well, so it was a good match.

Q.. Are you a little disappointed that you didn't run away with the match?
The first set, at 4-love, did it needle you a bit in the next couple of games?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I think if anything, it put me on my toes a bit more, to
realize that I have to keep fighting because Justine wasn't just gonna give
it to me. So if anything, that definitely kept me going, kept me up.

Q.. You obviously stepped it up today and had a lot of fire in the belly.
Yesterday, Justine's coach said that Justine felt you were haughty and
arrogant and would have given that second serve to any other player in Paris
except for you. I know those are strong comments, but could you reflect on
those, please.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It would have...?

Q.. The coach said Justine thought you were haughty and arrogant.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uh-hmm...

Q.. And that she would have given the second serve -- the first serve, pardon
me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Okay. I understand now. No, I -- everybody has their own
opinion. I don't think she thinks that about me. If she does, she's entitled.
I think she's a good player; I think she's a nice girl. I have no hard
feelings with anyone.

Q.. Can you talk a little bit about being in the finals of Wimbledon and what
that means after your knockout at the French?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm just really excited to be in the finals again of a Grand
Slam. I just want to fight and do the best that I can. It's, you know, I've
been able to realize at the French that you can't always make it to the
final. So now that I'm back, it's definitely exciting. It's just another
step, another day to keep fighting.

Q.. Your mother had said in France that maybe in the long run, that result
would help you; that you had felt a lot of pressure, maybe, in going for that
calendar Slam. Can you look back on the last month and see that maybe that
was -- there was a silver lining to that result? Has it helped you in any way
get to this final here?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm... I think it has. Of course, it definitely has. I went
home and worked a little harder than normal. I was definitely really focused
and, you know, I realize there's players out there that I have to be on my
toes and I can't sit down and watch the "Golden Girls" all day. I have to
watch some film instead sometimes. I mean, it's definitely tough, but at
least once I tried to do that. So it definitely got me going a little more,
and I think in the long run it is better, for sure.

Q.. Even though you keep saying you have respect and love for everyone on the
tour, the perception persists, there's bad blood between you and Justine. Are
you amused by that? Annoyed by that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I think it's more the press want to start a rivalry
between people. I mean, it used to be us and Hingis, the Williams sisters and
Hingis. I think you guys just make a mountain out of a molehill. In this
case, there's not even a molehill here. Like I said, I'm just here to play
tennis and I have to be in this environment for many, many years. In order to
be in this environment, you have to be happy with yourself and be able to
communicate with other players that are your colleagues, so to say. So it's
you guys; it's not us (smiling).

Q.. In the last game you didn't seem to like a call on the first point and
you didn't do anything about it. You sort of let it slide. Could you go over
your reasoning on that or what you were thinking about that as that happened.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I thought the ball was out, but like I always say, one
point's not going to change the match. You know, I never argue a ball. I did
once, a long time ago in the beginning of my career. I went nuts and I never
argued a ball since. So I just don't do it.

Q.. Where was that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't quite remember. It might have been indoors a long
time ago, but I don't remember.

Q.. There's a 50/50 chance you're going to play your sister again in the
final. There's been some suggestions that in order for her to beat you now
she would probably be better off separating herself from you a little bit in
terms of getting a -- practicing on her own, maybe getting a different coach.
Do you have any feelings about that, or can you talk about that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think in this tournament Venus has been playing the best.
I've had -- watched her match and I've had to raise my level of play to be
able to, I think, compete with her. As far as separate and get a different
coach, I wouldn't change anything that's been working. Old saying, if it's
not broke, you shouldn't really fix it. I don't think there's any problems.

Q.. She hasn't been able to beat you. From your point of view...

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I won, what, four, five in a row? At some point, you
know, Martina Navratilova beat Chris Evert many, many times. Actually, Chris
beat Martina many times in a row, but then it changed. It's not -- it's just
her getting used to my game. Like I said, if she wins today, I'd -- I'm gonna
have a very tough match - definitely. But... I don't think there's any
changing that needs to be made.

Q.. How gratifying is it for you to have Venus playing to this level again?
Is it nice to see?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's definitely great to see. It motivates me. When I
see her playing so well, I want to do better. I want to -- I realize that I
really want to stay on top. So when she's doing all the things that she
should do, I just really start practicing harder myself so it definitely
motivates me.

Q.. I just spoke to your father, who said that he was gratified that you'd
gone out with the doubles because it meant you could both concentrate on the
singles. Do you have any comment on that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, we... I'm happy, too. We tried and we fought. We were
both so tired. I was like -- I looked at Venus, I was like, "I'm really
tired," in the first set. I don't know how we even lasted three sets out
there. I was a little sore, and mentally, I played a really tough
three-setter, mentally more than anything. I was running a lot in that match,
Venus as well. And we were just... A little beaten. She said, "I'm kind of
glad we lost." I was like, "Yeah, me too." It was for the best. Some things
happen for a reason, and that was definitely a good reason.

Q.. Why do you think you beat Justine so much more easily than you beat
Jennifer Capriati?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think Jennifer gave me a good match to prepare for Justine
because Jennifer got a lot of balls back. I'm actually really happy that I
had a chance to play her. I think that kind of prepared me for Justine.

Q.. The last point of the second to last game when Justine, you had to go
deep on the forehand and deep on the backhand and up. It was just an amazing
point. Can you talk about what it feels like to come up with those shots and
then come away with the point and is that as flawless as you can play tennis?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't remember the point exactly, how it went. I know it's
always exciting to come out ahead, to come out ahead of long points and play
very well, just move the ball around and then still come out ahead - even
though she's getting a lot of balls back or I might be getting a lot of balls
back. It's always very satisfying to come out ahead.

Q.. Two forehand volleys that you netted in the first game of the match, do
you remember those? Did those change your game plan at all?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not at all. I'm happy I was even at the net, so that was
-- that was definitely a start, that I was able to net some volleys. So that
was a start.

Q.. Do you think the level of play that you had today is enough to win the
final? Will you have to up it again?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, either player I'm gonna play I'm going to have to
definitely up my game. This is gonna be the final. You always -- you can
never stay on the same level; you always, I think, have to raise the level of
your game.

Q.. Any particular areas you've looked to raise?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I would like to get my serves to 80 -- okay, 75
percent, at least (laughter). I'm at 66. Yeah, I will look at the stats. I
think there's a lot of stuff that I could up, for sure.

Q.. I was talking to your father as well. He thought that Justine showed a
little bit too much respect for you today. What's your opinion on that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I think she played a tough match. I think she
got a lot of balls back and had a good strategy. I don't know if she had a
lot of respect. She's just playing her game and we both were trying to win
the match.

Q.. A number of people in the men's tennis community have proposed today that
the racquets be made smaller, in the thinking that this may promote more
people to play serve-and-volley and get away from the tedium of baseline
stuff. Do you suppose that might apply to the women's game?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think right now, the women's game is super-exciting and I
think we're on a different level from everyone else. I think we shouldn't
change anything right now in the women's game.

Q.. Given that, obviously, you raised your game considerably today and, you
know, we talked about your sister as well. Do you think that when you do
raise your game, that there is anyone out there that can actually beat you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well... Who knows? (Laughter)