THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 13, 2017

Venus Williams

Wimbledon, London, England

V. WILLIAMS/J. Konta

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When you're breakpoint down, you hit your first serve long, where does the
instinct to hit a 106 mile-an-hour second serve come from?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm just out there competing. I try to produce whatever I
need at that time. There's, like, no plan or anything like that. I don't
plan. I'm just trying to compete.

Q. Given the way Johanna has played this tournament, do you think she could
go on to be a Wimbledon champion?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She played an amazing tournament. She showed a lot of
courage, played in tough situations against players who were in form. I feel
like she wants these majors, she'll have an opportunity.

She's played some amazing matches against me, as well. They were all
well-contested, and today was, too.

Q. After announcing you had Sjogren's and things weren't going well, here you
are back in your second final of a Grand Slam this year, could you reflect on
that, where you were, where you are now.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, yeah. There were definitely some issues. I had a lot of
issues. This year has been amazing in terms of my play, playing deep into the
big events actually. Of course, I'm excited about being again in another
final. Try to take it a step further.

Yeah, I just am still focused, I guess, on this next match.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about obviously you're the Williams standing
here, having that responsibility on your own. And also, will you talk to
Serena about Garbine since she played her last time she was in the final?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, Serena did play her in a final. I don't know when that
happened. I definitely will ask her. I'm sure she's going to give me
hopefully some things that will make a difference for me in the match.

I don't remember the other part of the question.

Q. About being the Williams here.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I miss her so much. Even more yesterday and today. I
try to take the same courage on the court that she would have. I did think of
that. I tried to do the things she would do.

I don't know that I play exactly the same way she does. But I really tried to
be inspired by it.

Q. You seem very emotional. Is this an emotional step for you, being in the
final again here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I feel very focused still. There's still a lot to be done. I
have one more match that I'd like to, you know, be the winner of. I have to
go out there and take it and play well.

But I like to take courage in the fact that I've been playing well this
tournament and this year, and all these moments have led to this.

Q. People who know you and love you talk about your incredible belief in
yourself. Talk about that. Where did that come from? Is that a big strength
for you as a person and a tennis player?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. For me it's just about betting on myself every time.
When I look across the net, I don't think it's the right mentality to believe
in that person more than me. It doesn't mean that I've won every time, but
I've tried to give myself the best chance no matter what the circumstances
were.

Q. When you're out on the court, perhaps your most expressive moments are
after a match when you wave. What do you recall about when you first started
doing that, who it was aimed at, and what you were thinking?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think the wave is just to acknowledge the crowd. All the
players do that. If you've won a match, it's definitely an expression of, a
moment of, Okay, now I can relax.

Even though this is entertainment, for the players it's complete and pure
focus. You don't see anything or hear anything except the ball and what's
going on in your head.

Yeah, that wave is finally a moment of, I can enjoy this moment before I go
off the court.

Q. Talk about your ups and downs, and if persistence is one of the factors
with you being so successful.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, there's definitely a lot of ups and downs. I just try
to hold my head up high, no matter what is happening in life.

In sport especially, you have injuries. You have illnesses. You're not going
to be always playing 100%. If I decide to walk out on the court, I try to
just compete that day. That's what I try to do.

Q. How much are you able to, when you're hitting 106 mile-per-hour serves or
other shots, how much are you able to appreciate it in the moment? Do you
have to stay focused? You're playing some of your best tennis in a long time.
I hope you can notice that, too.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, at those points it's like, Well, the game isn't over
yet, got to still hold serve.

I don't know what to say about that. I just want to win the point (laughter).
I hope that I can have more of that in the final, honestly.

Q. There seem to be some comparisons or similarities between what Federer is
doing on the men's side, and you: age, you're both healthy, being in the
Australian and Wimbledon final. He talked about that coming a lot from
confidence, playing loose and carefree. How much of that is true for you? Do
you all talk at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what his experience has been. Mine
may have been a little bit different than his.

But obviously you can play this game for a while if you love it, you put in
the work and stay healthy. So those are definitely similarities.

Q. In terms of the history of this tournament specifically, who are some of
the players that you grew up watching and idolizing? How have you continued
to draw inspiration from them?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I definitely grew up watching Becker and Edberg. I
remember that specifically. Obviously Graf. Was definitely a huge Seles fan.
I really enjoyed watching her. The year, too, that Zina got to the final is
amazing. So those are my memories.

Q. You seem to be an evergreen. Do you feel you're playing the best tennis
you ever played?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I've played some good tennis in different points of my
life. I think it's wonderful to have the opportunity to play well and to be
strong and have experience. So I think experience can either work against you
or for you. I like to think it's working for me.

Q. May I ask you why you talk so softly, like you are not enthusiastic about
what you have done? We have seen you so many times smiling, waving, excited.
You don't seem to be. I'd like to know why.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm definitely in the position I want to be in. It's a long
two weeks. Now, you know, knocking on the door for a title. This is where I
want to be.

So I'm definitely excited. But it's, like, you know, there's still more to
happen. I'm still very focused.

Q. Do you recall your very first match here 20 years ago? Will the nerves and
emotions be much different on Saturday?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I think I was so nervous in my first match here, it was a
total disaster. Poor young V. But definitely come up since that time.

I don't think I could ever be that nervous. Also I know how to handle it a
lot better. There's moments where maybe you aren't as relaxed as other
moments, but it's about handling it.

Q. You spoke of watching Boris Becker. What did you specifically like about
Boris when you used to watch him?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I loved his serve. He was playing big. I loved that. I was
really young, so I don't know if I had the focus to like really focus on the
whole match. But I just liked how big he played.

Q. What was the atmosphere like out there for you? How did it compare to
years past?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, walking out there, I knew that I was playing
against the home player, that maybe the crowd could get really loud. But I
think the crowd really supported her. I thought the crowd was really, really
grateful for the great tennis.

I didn't feel like, you know, they were against me. I just felt like they
were for her, that they enjoyed the match. They tried to get her up. It was,
like, a really nice atmosphere.

Q. When your opponent double-faults on her very first serve, do you think,
Uh-oh, she's nervous? Or does it make no difference to you at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What happened?

Q. I think that happened in the second set, her very first service of the
match, sorry.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm not one of those players that remembers all the plays.
I'm sorry. I wish I was. Sorry.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about playing Garbine on Saturday, what you
think she might do, what you might have to do.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, we played a number of matches. I don't know
how many. But we definitely have played. I've never played her on grass, so
that becomes definitely a different factor. I'll have to see what's working.
I'll want to try to continue to play like I have in all these matches that
I've played so far.

I haven't really seen her matches, honestly. Even this last one before I
didn't see. I'm not sure exactly what she's doing. I'll have to see what
happens in the final.

Q. You've talked about getting into this Wimbledon bubble by yourself, being
internal. Do you enjoy that process? Is it a growth experience for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Of being in a bubble?

Q. Well, just having quiet when you're here at Wimbledon, a focus.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, it's definitely -- I don't know. I just try to play
and just try to win. I don't necessarily think about quiet or focus. I mean,
it's nice because you're actually in the village of Wimbledon. You're not
having to travel back and forth long ways. In that sense, you're like in the
bubble of the whole Wimbledon spirit, all that stuff.

Q. In the past we're used to seeing you fly around the net here at Wimbledon.
That's really the way you got the five titles before. Here it's been a little
bit more of some grinding baseline work. Is that an adjustment because of the
way the game has progressed? Is that an adjustment in your game? Is it
because the opponents are who you've been playing?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, honestly outside of maybe the quarterfinals, I've
played really big servers every match. So there hasn't been a ton of time to
get to the net.

If I have an opportunity, I'll get in. I feel like I'm just adjusting to
whatever I need to do at that moment in the match. Points have been quick.

Q. Your performance in the second set, was that as good as you ever played?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, in the second set, I didn't really know what to
expect because the first set was so well-contested. I didn't know what was
going to happen except that I was going to try to make the gap bigger. The
gap did get bigger. That was better luck for me today.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports