US OPEN

August 31, 2022

Serena Williams

New York, New York, USA

Press Conference

S. WILLIAMS/A. Kontaveit

7-6, 2-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How would you describe both the experience and how you're playing right
now?

SERENA WILLIAMS: The experience was really good. I think you can only have
this experience once in a lifetime, for sure.

I'm playing pretty good. I feel, like I said on the court, I've been
practicing really well, but it hasn't been coming together in matches.

But, you know, now it's kind of coming together, I guess. I mean, I had to
bring it together today. It worked out.

Q. Novak has talked about going into the bathroom in between sets and
splashing water on his face, giving himself a talking-to out loud. Did you do
anything like that? What happened in between those sets? You came out
obviously with a much higher level.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, no, I just got lighter. Use your imagination
(smiling). But it wasn't number two, so...

Q. Can you win this tournament and are you any more convinced on that based
on how you played tonight?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I cannot think that far. I'm here, like I said. I'm having
fun and I'm enjoying it. Honestly, I've had so many tough matches the last I
don't know how long that I just feel like just being prepared for everyone
that I play is just going to be really, really difficult. Get through those
moments.

Q. On the point of matches, Ajla Tomljanovic is next. She's been saying that
she didn't want your career to end without her having an opportunity to play
you. What are your thoughts going into that one?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it's good. She's been playing pretty intense and
I've been actually watching her matches a lot. I saw her play last week or a
week and a half to go.

Yeah, she's been through a lot of injuries, so I kind of respect that. I
think it's going to be a good match.

But that's not what you asked. You asked the fact that she wanted to play me.
I think it's good. Like I said, I have to be ready for every match.

Q. There's obviously been so much kind of ceremony around this tournament for
you. Have you tried to focus in on the match and block everything else out,
if that's been your tactic, as opposed to embracing the moment? If so, how
have you been able to do that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I've been doing a little bit of both. I think I've
mostly been kind of blocking everything out, but then at the same time I've
been embracing a little bit of it, because I also want to enjoy the moment.

Yeah, I think these moments are clearly fleeting. For me, it's really about
having a little embrace but also understanding that I'm here to focus, do the
best that I can this time.

Q. You recently returned from a year off the tour. Are these the kind of
nights, the kinds of moments, matches that you missed while you were away?
Was it a thrill to be back in that atmosphere locked into the third set at a
Grand Slam tournament in a full stadium?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, for me, I don't know if I missed it. I didn't think
about it really. I just was focused on other things. Quite frankly, I just
started hitting the ball. I was like, I think I can come back out.

So here I am.

Q. You said on court that you felt like you had nothing to lose for the first
time in maybe decades. Is this kind of a foreign feeling for you, what that
feels like, how much fear you feel, if you think you're going to be able to
keep that feeling going as you advance in this tournament?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I feel like everything is a bonus. Like, it's that
weird mixture of embracing but also staying focused. So I'm just really
trying to figure out which percentage I want of each.

Yeah, I just feel like I have had a big red X on my back since I won the US
Open in '99. It's been there my entire career, because I won my first Grand
Slam early in my career.

But here it's different. I feel like I've already won, figuratively,
mentally. It's just pretty awesome the things that I've done.

I never, like, accept that. I never think about it. Yeah, so tonight I was
just like, Serena, you've already won, just play, be Serena. You're better
than this.

That's what I was able to do.

Q. In your Vogue article you wrote about going to Tiger Woods for advice. How
important was the advice that he gave to you in getting you back on court?
What did it mean to you to have him in your box today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, he's one of the reasons I'm here, one of the main
reasons I'm still playing. So we talked a lot. He was really trying to get me
motivated.

There's a few people, but we were like, Okay, we can do this together, you
know?

It was good, because I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was just lost, so
many questions. When you can rely on someone like that, I mean, my goodness,
he's Tiger Woods, it was really helpful to get clarity.

Q. Obviously you ended that first set with an ace. You took a moment, seemed
to stand on the baseline, pump your fist, look at your box. Take us through
what you were feeling there.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Very simple: I like to ace when I'm up set point or match
point or hit a winner. I was like, yes, I love hitting aces on those types of
points.

Q. Over the course of this week, what are you most pleased about your tennis?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm just pleased I showed up because the last few
tournaments I didn't show up. But, like I said, I've been practicing really
well and I'm pleased that I'm finally seeing my practice come into my
matches, so that's nice.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports