AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2015

Venus Williams

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

V. WILLIAMS/M. Torro-Flor
6-2, 6-2
An interview with:
VENUS WILLIAMS

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Undefeated this year so far. How about that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's been a good year. So far so good. It's just the
beginning of the year, though. A lot more matches ahead, God willing.

Q. How did you feel out there today stroke-wise, feeling the court?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I felt good out there. I felt like my serve was
working, moving well, playing aggressive. She and I had a really tough match
at Wimbledon last year. Even from the first game, she was just hitting the
ball so hard. So obviously I was just prepared for her to play well again.
But thankfully I was able to break serve a few times and make it a little
easier than last time we played.

Q. How was your off-season? What did you do to kind of take the momentum that
you built last year and build on it? What was your focus during the
off-season?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know, I was pretty busy. It was extremely chaotic. I
don't know. I just tried to be on the court, be in the gym, get the work in
pretty much. You got to get the work in. You got to hit the balls, you got to
serve, you got to run, you got to practice. When I get out here on court, I
feel like I rely on experience. I feel even if I'm playing my worst tennis, I
still have a chance in every match. So if I can just play well, I have an
even better chance.

Q. Busy with EleVen stuff?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I was busy with EleVen and V Starr and I was in school, so it
was a lot, yeah. I'm glad that's over.

Q. Is that something that has sort of continued to drive you, your off-court
interests? Does that help you in your tennis to have those other things in
your life?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Does it help me with my tennis? I don't know. I think it
maybe makes me more appreciative of tennis because I've had to start at the
bottom with both of those. Obviously people know your name, but it doesn't
mean that it's a given. You have to work hard. So I work really hard at both
of those businesses. I'm in school because I guess I'm a geek. And other than
that, yeah, I love tennis, so it's always number one.

Q. You said a while ago that accounting kind of drove you crazy. What was so
hard about accounting?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's hard because when you go to school on distance
education, you have a ton of tools, but you have to be very disciplined and
you have a ton more work. I literally mean an actual ton. It's very
challenging. I don't like bad grades, so I have to have really good grades.
So I put a lot of pressure on myself. It is so much work. It's a lot of work.
So I'm through accounting now, so I feel anything else is going to be a
breeze.

Q. How are you at school? Is it tougher than tennis?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I love the information. I don't like to do the work, so... I
don't know. I guess that's the same thing. Yes, I like matches. Does anyone
love practice? Probably not. So it's probably the same concept.

Q. It's been well-documented you've had a few health issues the last couple
of years. You seem to have got back into the higher echelons of the game a
bit under the radar. Are you feeling very healthy, very good in yourself
right now?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I got issues, but so do a lot of people. Everyone
has different kind of issues. I deal with my own the best way that I can. I'm
creeping closer. I did enter the top 20. But I had some issues. Now I'm back
again. I'd like to think that moving forward I have a lot of good days ahead
of me in terms of health. I think also learning to manage things, because
it's a mental challenge when you don't feel well and I think I'm learning to
manage that a lot better.

Q. Li Na announced her pregnancy. I'm wondering if motherhood is something
that you ever think of?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, that's so sweet. I didn't know that. Maybe there will
be twins and a doubles team. I hope I'm still not playing when they're out
(laughter). In any case, I don't know, I'm still a big kid. I'm still growing
up. She's definitely made the right decision, I think, starting a family. I
hope that one day I can get to that level. We'll see. It's a big job. It's
like the biggest job in the world. As much responsibility as I've taken on in
my life, that still seems daunting.

Q. The broadcasters were talking about when you first appeared and played
your match with Stafford in Oakland. At that point could you have possibly
imagined you would come this far and have achieved so much in this sport?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think young V would have said, Why haven't you done more,
you lazy bum? You know, as a child you dream big. I definitely had a lot of
self-belief. So I felt like I deserved it. You have to put the work in. You
learn the hard lessons, you lose matches, but then you start to win some,
too. I've had a blessed life in terms of being able to live my dreams more
than once. I'm eternally grateful for that.

Q. Do you still think you should have beaten Sanchez Vicario in the next
round?
VENUS WILLIAMS: On paper, sure. But I didn't know what to do. Ultimately I
didn't deserve the win. I learned a lot after that, though.


FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports