ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2017

Venus Williams

Paris, France

V. WILLIAMS/E. Mertens

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I have a question about your style and your influence on current street
wear that's going to happen. You have been known to cause quite a stir with
some of your attire in the past, particularly in 2010, and it's had an
immediate impact on sales. Can you tell us, what is your thought process that
goes into the attire that you're going to be wearing for a major slam?
VENUS WILLIAMS: For the slams I think I design more or less for the city. I'm
always thinking, this has a Paris feel or this has a New York feel or this
feels more like Australia. Wimbledon is always white.

So I'm definitely deeply influenced by the culture of where I'm playing.

Q. How are you feeling at the French Open? This is your 20th time here. How
much of that feels like all positive experience that builds on itself and how
much is too much? Sam Stosur was in here earlier and said sometimes young
kids don't know what they don't know, and they go out there and be braver and
unburdened by things. But you obviously have so much experience. What are the
pros and cons of that experience?
VENUS WILLIAMS: For me, experience is only a plus. I feel like push comes to
shove, 4-All, I'm going to have the experience of what it's like to be in
that situation. For a young player, maybe this is their first third round but
I have played a number of them. It's going to feel less climactic to me. It's
going to be, Hey, I want to win this title. It's not like, Oh, my god, third
round is amazing. That gives me an advantage. I see it as an advantage for
sure.

Q. Another very solid performance today. How important is it going into the
second week to be rested but also to be maybe tested to a certain degree,
just going forward to see where you're at on court?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm not looking for any tests. I'm looking to run away
with it (smiling).

My goal is to improve every round and today I feel like I improved even more
than the last rounds and play the big points well.

I feel confident that the next round is going to be another opportunity to
improve and to play better and to play better. That's, like, my focus at the
moment.

Q. The weather was a little bit dodgy out there, some rain and everything.
This week has been hot and humid. How was that change?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I was definitely ready for it to come down. Massive lightning
strike during my warmup. It never came. So that was amazing.

I expected it to be cold when I walked out there so I was ready for it to be
freezing and it was still warm. Definitely some unexpected weather. I hope it
holds.

Q. You have made some fun comments about being an aunt and so forth, but a
little bit more of a serious side, I mean, your family is one of the
extraordinary success stories of American families. It's big, blended, many
different chapters and real hardships. Some real bonds. Talk about the
dynamic feature and culture of your extended family and what it's meant to
you as a tennis player.
VENUS WILLIAMS: What? What's the question? Extended family?

Q. Well, I meant your dad, your mom, half-sisters or stepsisters. Just that's
all.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I can't say I understand the question. Sorry.

Anybody who has been in my family has been so supportive. I love them. That
just sums it up. With all my heart is with them and theirs is with me.

Q. It's been a big factor in your tennis that's helped you sustain your
career?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I absolutely think so. It helped to start my career, for
sure. Then once you start, hopefully it's a strong finish. So far, it's
strong.

Q. How would you describe your relationship with this tournament? It's a
long-term relationship, 20 years at this point. You haven't lifted the trophy
here yet, but do you feel like it's still one you have hopes for? Has it been
frustrating or overall if you had to sort of describe how you feel about the
French Open compared to other events maybe?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have played well here a number of times. Sometimes it
didn't work out. I think sometimes clay can be tricky. Sometimes a player
catches fire and you don't have a good day. I think this year I'm playing
really well strategically, and I'm enjoying it. So it feels like a good thing.

Q. Your next opponent, you played her last year here the same round and it
didn't go well.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. Can you just break down the matchup with Timea Bacsinszky.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, she's had great results in this tournament two years in
a row, and last year she played flawless. She deserved the win.

This year, of course, I have an opportunity to play better and that's what
I'm going to try to do.

Q. When you look back on kind of how you have evolved as a competitor
specifically at the majors, do you think there are stages, like how you maybe
approached slams at the very beginning and then how you approached them more
towards the middle of your career, and how you're approaching them now, and
how has that evolution kind of been?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. That's a good question. I don't know (smiling). I just
try to play, try to win the match. Pretty straightforward. Yeah.

Q. You have enjoyed lots of success over a number of years. What gives you
that competitive edge? Why do you still want to compete at the top level? You
don't need to.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, because there is really no reason to stop. I've got a
lot of fun out here, and I enjoy it. I love it. I'm good at it. So why not?

Q. Timea Bacsinszky, what do you think? What makes her dangerous in her game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she does everything well. Hits forehand, backhand
well. She can come in. Can play offense and defense. She's obviously a
fighter.

All of the things you need to do to be at the top of tennis.

Q. Over the years you have had ups, downs, successes that are unparalleled in
many ways. Could you tell us, throughout all of these experiences, what do
you think these things have taught you as a person from the philosophical
point of view?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What taught me what things?

Q. The experiences, the good with the bad. What do you think you have learned
most about yourself as a player and as a person?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think the most what I learned was that you can accomplish
more than what you think you can. Sometimes you think that there is a limit,
even though I believe there is no limits in life, but mentally sometimes you
can subconsciously have one. I have learned that there is so much more you
can achieve than you even think. It's still ongoing.

Q. Thinking back to that match against Bacsinszky here last year, what are
your memories of that match? If I recall, it was a wet couple of weeks, but
what are your memories of that match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have to think about it now, because I have kind of let that
go. So obviously I will process what I remember of that match, and try to
make some differences. I mean, I haven't even really seen her play since that
day. I'll have to try to remember how she plays, as well, so there will be
definitely some thoughts that go into preparing for this next match.

Q. In terms of keeping your belief and never underestimating yourself, is
that aided at this next major by what you were able to do in Australia,
reaching the first final in a number of years? Is it tougher ever to get that
same confidence and belief up here? This is, like you said, a surface that
can be tricky for you.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I mean, I have played well in a lot of
tournaments. I just feel like at every tournament I'm coming out to win my
match. Just keep it pretty simple, you know.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports