WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 17, 2013

Serena Williams

CINCINNATI, OHIO

S. WILLIAMS/L. Na
7-5, 7-5

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Serena, it was a bit of a scratchy match on both sides of it.  How'd you
get through it, and how do you feel afterwards?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It was definitely a little scratchy, but I was able to get
through.  I just tried to stay positive.  You know, when I was down, I just
got really relaxed, and I felt like, you know, Serena, you don't really have
much to lose.  So just kind of relax and get through it.

Q.  Were you exasperated with yourself in that one game where you just quick
served?  You just looked like you wanted to get through it and get done and
move on?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I was just trying to just change the rhythm and just
try to with myself-- you know, she just kept hitting winners.  I definitely
didn't expect that.  So it was a good part on her.

Q.  Serena, you're the first woman to win the US Open Series more than once.
 How big of a deal is it for you?  Obviously, there's bonus money involved.
 Is there anything-- what does it mean to you?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It's exciting because no matter what happens tomorrow, I've
won something.
And also, it's always exciting to win the US Open Series, especially being
from America and playing all the tournaments in the USA, especially tonight.
 There was so much support out there.  It was almost overwhelming, but it was
really cool.
I haven't really felt that a lot.  So it feels really, really good.

Q.  Do you have a storage unit for all your trophies?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No.  Everywhere I look, they're-- I'm not-- they're around,
though.  Like I'm not a trophy person.  If you come to my house, I mean, it's
just-- I don't really keep up with them and have like a perfect room for
them.  I don't.  I just have them a little bit-- usually they're in the box
for a few months because when they're sent.
But it's really cool.

Q.  Serena, how are you feeling?  It seemed like for a couple changeovers
there you were putting a towel on your stomach?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I got a little tight in my stomach.  It's been tight
this week, though.
Yeah, I knew what to do.  I just kind of released those muscles, and it
immediately got better.

Q.  Serena, this is the first time you've made it to the finals here at
Cincinnati.  You talked about this tournament being on your bucket list.
 What does it mean for you to be in the finals in a position to chase after
that goal?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Well, I'm-- really didn't-- wouldn't have predicted-- I
can't even speak, but I definitely would not have predicted myself being in
the final here at all.  So it's definitely pretty exciting for me.
Really unexpected for me too.  I just was-- came in here playing not my best,
and then now I'm in the final.  It's just almost weird.

Q.  Serena, you're going for title No. 9.  Rafa is also in the final.  He's
going for title No. 9.  Both of you have never won Cincinnati before.  So
going for a first.  Is there some sort of simpatico there?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I'm motivating him.  So he's-- he's keeping up with
me, and I'm keeping up with him.  We're motivating each other even though
we're on separate tours.
So, yeah, I've been definitely keeping up.  When he won today, I was like,
oh, I've got to somehow manage to win.  So it's fun.

Q.  I know you talked about different numbers or goals you have in mind or
you're looking at.  Do you ever look at the men's numbers?  Like would
passing Federer in slams mean anything to you?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  You know, I have a lot of goals.  I never really talk about
them, but I definitely have a lot of goals.

Q.  Serena, can you look ahead to playing Jelena Jankovic or Azarenka
tomorrow?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It will be interesting.  Both of them are obviously great
players.  Both have been No.1.  Both have beaten me.  So regardless who I
play, it will be a tough match.

Q.  Serena, when you get to New York, of course, the Open title is the
ultimate goal, but the bonus prize money doesn't hurt either.  Do you have
any-- what would you do with that money if you got all that?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Well, I have to get it first.  That would be nice.  I'm not
a big spender.  Actually, I was-- I just was thinking about getting a new
place in Paris because mine's so small.  I was going to upgrade.
But I'm really-- I'm just one of those girls that like to invest and do
things like that, one of those bonds and stock, really boring.
I probably should have been-- yeah, that's me.  I always have meetings with
my money guy, and all we talk about is investments and blue chip companies
and which ones I want to do and stuff like that.  So, yeah, that's what I do.

Q.  So your place in Paris is too small for you?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It's tiny.  It's much smaller than this room.  It's half
the size of this maybe.  So it's really small.
But I'm not there so much.  So I never thought I would want a bigger place.
 But maybe I would do that.
But, again, I don't have to win the US Open so I can buy it (laughter).  I'm
just going to invest it and just find some new companies.  I'm actually
starting my other company again.  I'm starting another company myself.  So
that's what I'll do with it.

Q.  What company is that?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I'm actually starting my company Aneres, which is my
clothing line.  It will be Aneres.com.  You can buy fashions from there.
 We're going to have to find some potential investors, and I'm looking at
that as well.  Probably do some more stuff like that.

Q.  How does that fit with your HSN stuff?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It fits well.  HSN, my client is a particular-- I have a
particular client at HSN.  So when I'm designing, and I'm actually designing
for Aneres now, I have more freedom, and I can draw and sketch what I want to
and send it to our manufacturers and go from there.
So I'll definitely have more-- I can be more creative.  I can definitely get
more influenced from the fashion outside of just colors.  I mean, I love
working for HSN.  We're doing incredible there, but I wanted to expand with
Aneres.
It will be really fun.  I'm really excited.  I'm already starting the wheels
on that.

Q.  Is it more high end?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It's definitely more high end, but it's also really -- it's
also reasonable as well.
Take, for instance, someone like me.  I do make a lot of money, but I'm not
going to spend-- I'm the type of person that's not going to spend $10,000 or
even $1,000 for a top.
The prices, we're still working on it.  It's going to be very-- it's not
going to be like Forever 21, but it's going to be more or less like BCBG
prices.

Q.  Speaking of HSN, when will we see you back on HSN?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I'm not sure.  We just branched out, and I have someone
else going for me now so I can focus more on tennis and just do the design
aspect.
So my clothing line will be on in September, but I probably won't be on again
until next year.

Q.  Serena, you mentioned before that the crowd was kind of crazy and really
hyper tonight.  When you look back on it, are there any other crowds that
have been positively like -- you know, that stand out in your mind, other
matches that you've played or other venues?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  When I said that, I meant it in a positive way.

Q.  Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm asking.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I have to be honest, I've had some pretty amazing
experiences.  I've had, obviously, one terrible experience, but I've had some
really amazing experiences.  In Australia, I just have wonderful experiences
there, really got me through some great matches, South Carolina, Miami.
The list goes on and on.  The crowds have been really amazing.

Q.  What do you make of the US Open crowds that you've had throughout the
course of your career?  Maybe how they've changed over since the beginning.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I think, when you're first coming out, people don't really
know you and they have to get used to you, and if you're going up against
another American that they've known and seen for years and years and years,
people have their favorites.
But as you win more and as people get to know you more and get to become a
fan, then, you know, you have to kind of make your way in there.  You can't
just come in and expect everyone to root for you.
It's like you're a rookie, and you have to pay your respects.

Q.  Is that something that takes getting used to, or is that something you
realized when you were a teenager there?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, you don't realize it when you're a teenager.  It
definitely took getting used to.
Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports