U.S. OPEN

August 28, 2012

Serena Williams

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

S. WILLIAMS/C. Vandeweghe
6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  How windy was it out there?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I mean, it was blowing a lot at the Olympics.  I think this
may have been more than the Olympics.
I usually gauge the wind by my hair.  If it's really going forward, I'm
thinking, It's really windy.
It was really gusty, so at some points it would be really windy, at some
points it wouldn't be.  At the Olympics it was definitely more all the time
windy.

Q.  How do you adjust your service toss?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  For me I just take pace off my serve.  Today I didn't
really hit too many aces.  Also she returned really well.  She was really
reading my serve.
But I didn't hit anything too hard because the ball, I wouldn't have known
where it was going to go.

Q.  You are notoriously a tough grader of yourself.  Hard to find any red ink
on this performance, I would think.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Really?  Are you that guy on Twitter Tennis?

Q.  No.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Sorry.  I like the guy on Twitter.  Can't remember his
name, though.
I don't know.  I think I give myself-- I mean, the match was so weird, the
conditions were so tough, I couldn't really play my game.  She couldn't
really play her game.  It's not the best opportunity to grade yourself.

Q.  You said the No.1 player in the world was the player who believed in
their heart they were the best.  Do you believe in your heart you're the best
player in the world?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Of course.  I believe that.  I think there's a number of
players on this tour, a few players who believe that.  I don't think we would
be playing if we didn't believe that.

Q.  You're handily beating for a good stretch now the other top players.
 Does that really show in a more objective way that Serena Williams is the
best player in the world?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Uhm, I mean, I know what I am.  I don't know about the
ranking.  Like I don't care about the ranking.  I've been No.1.  It's cool.
 But for me that's just my thing is just to be the best player.  If that
means, you know, I'm winning and not No.1, that's fine.
But these players now, they're very consistent.  They've been playing every
week.  They've had a really consistent year.  They didn't lose in the first
round of Paris, so maybe they're No.1.

Q.  What does it mean to you to be a role model and mentor to Sloane Stephens?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It's a lot.  She's really awesome.  She's a great person.
 I think she's an amazing player.  She's playing so smooth.  She looks like
she gives no effort when she plays.  She's such a beautiful, beautiful player.
And, yeah, I embrace that.  I hope I can teach her some things, and hopefully
she's able to do it.  You know, I think we can kind of feed off each other.
 She can teach me some things, maybe how to be calm on the court.

Q.  What are the qualities about her that you appreciate most?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Like I said, I love her game.  I think she does everything
all around really good.  She's moving really well.
Off the court I think she's a great person.  She's always saying hello, she's
laughing.  She's always encouraging me not to be single (smiling).  She's
always telling me I'm going to find somebody one day.  I always tell her, No,
I'm not, and complaining about it.  She's positive about that.
I think she's more my mentor than anything.  She really keeps me upbeat.

Q.  Did you watch Venus play?  How well do you think she played in general
today?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I didn't see.  I saw the first game she lost and I couldn't
watch any more.  I was too nervous.  I maybe saw the last game.  I didn't
really see the match.

Q.  According to James Blake, he says you're the most mentally tough player
on the women's tour.  How do you stay in that zone?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  You know, I think mental has been probably my strongest
game.  I've won so many Grand Slams off of it, so many matches because of
what I have upstairs.  Sometimes what I don't have.
I think for the most part-- my dad always said tennis was mental.  For me,
that's kind of what I listened to.

Q.  You spoke about the whole year.  Back before Brisbane, you were quoted as
saying you didn't love tennis, didn't like practicing that much.  You've had
this incredible run now.  Has that changed?  Do you love tennis?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I do.  I love it so much.  I hate to compare it to it, but
it's like a disaster, a drug, I know I can't live without it, but one day I
know I'm going to have to let it go.

Q.  Does that scare you?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It does.  I tell someone like, You be careful, I'm going to
start loving tennis.

Q.  Have you had as good a feeling since Wimbledon and the Olympics?  What
has this stretch felt like for you?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It's amazing.  It's been a long stretch.  I think what's
been even more amazing is the fact I'm playing singles and doubles and going
really deep in both events, being super fit for both.
I really love winning singles, and I love winning doubles.  Every time you
step out on the court you have to bring it mentally and physically.  I'm
really excited that I've been able to consistently - and hopefully I continue
to consistently - do that.

Q.  Your good friend LaLa, what does it mean to have her support at your
match?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It means a lot.  I'm really good friends with La, Mel.
 It's cool.  We missed each other at the Olympics because the venues were so
far away.  US Open time, them being in New York, Mel being such a great name
for NewYork City.  It's really great to have them come out and support me.
 We're always hanging out and laughing.  It meant a lot.

Q.  At Sloane's press conference, she was asked if she's the next superstar
on the scene.  What are your thoughts on her potential?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I think she has a great smile, a beautiful face.  I think
she has such a wonderful personality and attitude.  So, yeah, I think it's
totally possible.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports