AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2017

Venus Williams

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

V. WILLIAMS/Y. Duan

6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In '94 when you debuted, your dad said that you and Serena were going to
revolutionize the game. Clearly over the years you have. But also in this
period there's been one criticism or dust-up after another on match fixing,
the commitment of you or Serena, the comments by the Fed Cup coach from
Russia, and now more recently the ESPN situation. How do these feel for you?
What would you say to the American public really about one after another of
these controversies coming up relating to you and Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: So what was the question again?

Q. The question is, you've changed the game, but there's been a long series
of criticisms. How does it affect you personally and what would you say?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I understand the question.

First of all, all I can say is it's been a wonderful, wonderful career for me
full of positives. That's what I focus on. I mean, what else can I do? It's a
beautiful life. That's how I feel about every single thing. It's just that
simple, honestly.

Q. So you just don't pay attention to these situations and just go on?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I pay attention and address situations that are
noteworthy. That's been my past record, clearly.

Q. About the match today, since now you have played her, obviously, and you
know pretty much how she played, can you tell us what do you make of her game
and how the match went today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: We had a lot of deuce games, honestly. She is very
competitive. You can see that she wants to win. We had some really long games
that I think were pivotal, very important for the match. 2-Love in the first
set. 1-Love in the second set. We were just fighting back and forth.

This is her first time in the third round. It's a lot of pressure. Having the
opportunity to play this third round, play against a player of my experience,
is going to be a huge steppingstone for her. She's got talent. She's in the
top 100. It's perfect for women's tennis.

Q. How do you feel to be in the fourth round for the 10th time here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, yay! It's good. It's never enough. I've been in the
fourth round before. I've tasted it before and it's always a great feeling
because it means, hey, I have an opportunity for the quarterfinals. That's
what I'm going to go for.

Q. You say it's a beautiful life that tennis has given you. Can you pinpoint
certain things that you never thought you would be doing? Do you and Serena
ever sit around and think about, look at where we are?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, we don't necessarily sit around and do that because we
definitely worked to the bone to be here. It's not necessarily by chance.
But, boy, is it a blessing.

In terms of things I wouldn't be doing, I definitely wouldn't be sitting here
talking to you guys. That's just one thing I'd list.

Q. You have a company you might not have been able to start.
VENUS WILLIAMS: These are the questions that we don't know. I don't know
where my life would have been. I know the person I am would still be the
same, but in different circumstances.

Q. I was talking with Mike Bryan a little bit before. He said he thinks part
of the reason they've been in the game so long is because he enjoys hanging
out with his brother, playing with his brother, that's why he comes back all
the time. Would that resonate for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess so, in a way. I haven't had an opportunity to play as
much with Serena as I would have liked. But I'm here because I love it. Just
plain and simple.

Q. He said in terms of playing and hanging out with his brother, sometimes he
felt the highs were higher and the lows were lower. If he sees his brother is
not in his best form, he feels like a part of himself isn't. Do you grapple
with these things in your head, as well?
VENUS WILLIAMS: We don't really lose that often (laughter).

There weren't a lot of lows. I don't think we ever lost a major final, so...
We didn't play that often, but we didn't lose that often. It's a little bit
different experience. If we would have played more, then yeah, it would be
like, Oh.

I don't know. Brothers, sisters, different experiences.

Q. I noticed you're barely wrong when it comes to challenges over your
career. What's the difference between you and other players, that you seem to
know when the ball was in? Can you reflect on that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I believe the challenge system is strategic: you should use
it when you need it. I need every point. But if I don't necessarily need the
point, save it for a time when you need it.

If I feel like the ball is in, I've hit a million balls, I know what it feels
like when it's in, so that's when I go for the challenge.

Q. Are you still pursuing a master's degree?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I am. I have a year left.

Q. That's through?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I never said.

Q. Not the Indian --
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, something different. I never said. I'm not saying.

Q. Is it more interesting than accounting?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I loved accounting, I have to be honest. If I would have
known I loved it that much, I would have majored in accounting.

Q. You said that you focus on the things that are important to you. Aside
from your occupation, what is important to you that you like to focus on?
VENUS WILLIAMS: God, my family. Those are the most important things to me,
yeah.

Q. What do you love about accounting?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, it's just the language of business. I don't know. I
liked it. I liked it. It's balanced. It's reliable.

Q. You do the books for your companies?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I'm not an accountant.

Q. Of those ventures you have off the court, is there one or the other that
really you prefer or like?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I love them both. I have two amazing teams. They both
give me joy. I work hard at both.

Q. When you go to the office to work, are you wearing workout clothes or
dressed like a businesswoman?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Typically workout clothes.

Q. And the rest of the staff?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Business (laughter). Depends. If we have a meeting, then I
front, and I show up looking like a professional. Sometimes I show up between
workouts. Depends on my day.

Q. I don't recall you wearing eye makeup and stuff before. Have I just missed
that or is this a new Venus?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have in the past sometimes. Update, don't be late.

Q. Since we're going so deep here, you said you liked accounting because it
was balanced and reliable. Aside from Serena, who is the tennis player who
would probably be the best accountant in terms of being balanced and reliable?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. That's a good question. Accounting, it's a lot
of work to learn it. So anybody that doesn't mind a few numbers here and
there, ratios, equations.

Q. Can you look ahead to the fourth round a bit.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Whatever happens, I'm looking forward to executing my game.
That's all that matters at this point, is to continue to elevate myself. As
the rounds continue, I need to raise my level. This is my primary focus, and
nothing else.

Q. Do you enjoy playing the hometown hero potentially?
VENUS WILLIAMS: That would be awesome. I think it would be great. I would
like to win. I'm sure she will, too. So we'll see what happens. She's so
talented. It's wonderful to see.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports