ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2016

Serena Williams

Paris, France

S. WILLIAMS/K. Mladenovic

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How tough was it to wait for that long rain delay, knowing you had to come
right back into a tiebreak and start pretty much at full power?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It was tough, but it's part of the game. You just have to be
ready for it.

Q. Can you just tell us your thoughts on the match in general and what kind
of challenge Kiki posed to you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think she played well. I feel like I made a tremendous
amount of errors. But, you know, I feel like she kind of forced me to. She
forced me to go for it, and unfortunately, I wasn't hitting great today. But
I was really, I don't know -- but again, I feel like she kind of forced the
issue.

Q. Did you make it a point to come out more aggressive after that break into
the tiebreaker?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I just made it a point to play my game. Up until that point
I had not been playing my game. I was playing really defensive. It's not me.

So I just wanted to be Serena out there.

Q. Sometimes it's talked about a player needing a challenge at some point
during a Grand Slam. So you had two pretty routine matches. Did you feel like
that was a challenge for you, or you just take it one match at a time?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It was definitely a challenge for me, obviously. I think by
the scoreline, you know, and by the match, and barely getting through that, I
had opportunities to end it a lot sooner and I didn't, but that's also
something that I can try to do, you know, going forward.

Q. Your thoughts on the breakpoints? You had a much lower conversion
percentage than you usually do. Do you feel yourself tightening up or not
playing your game? Those opportunities, your thoughts.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think today in general I definitely didn't play my usual
game, and, you know, some of those break points, most of them I should have
won, and I didn't. And lately I have been really converting those break
points, but, you know, I have got to focus on the positives, I guess.

Q. This is away from today's match, but I don't know whether you have heard
that a group of 100 scientists, looking ahead to the Olympics, a group of
scientists from America and Britain, have come together and written a letter
to the World Health Organization urging that the Games should be postponed or
moved because they say the eradication of the Zika-bearing mosquitoes hasn't
been effective. Does that ring any alarm bells for you? Is it something you
need to or will pay particular consideration to?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. It's something that's been on my mind. I'm really just
gonna have to go super protected maybe, and I don't know.

Q. The tension got up pretty high at the end and you looked a little slow
footed at times. I'm wondering if you feel the number of matches coming in
here might have contributed to how you were feeling out there today.
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so. I think I have played enough. I have
played a lot of matches in Rome. I think it's enough. I just -- yeah. Yeah, I
don't think it was -- I just wasn't playing -- I was a little too defensive.
And when you're defensive, then you don't usually get off to that quick start
speed-wise, even in terms of match-wise, as well.

Q. You don't seem looking in a good mood as normally winners should be, and
I'd like to know why. I mean, it's something wrong with you? You look almost
sad. Apart from that, I'd like also to know what is your idea what happened
to Rafa Nadal, wishing so much to play and win this tournament, you have been
through injuries, too. How do you solidarize with him?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm just really focused. That's it. I'm just here to do
the best that I can, and that's it.

As for Rafa, it was definitely weird to see him go out like that, but I am a
big believer in taking care of yourself and not forcing it, you know, forcing
a surgery or something, saying if he kept going it could get a lot worse.
Personally, I have pulled out of a lot matches because I didn't want it to
get worse and I didn't want to have any complications later down the road.

So, yeah, just sad for the tournament, I guess.

Q. Can I ask you about your next opponent or you don't know who it is?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's fine.

Q. Can you talk about Elina? What do you remember from that match with her in
Australia and just talk about her as a player?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Obviously she's a great player, and she knows how to play
well. She knows how to just play on the big scenes, as well.

So it's just another match for me. I think today, having this match is
definitely going to be able to help me out going for it.

Q. You have played Justine a lot a few times here. She will be in the crowd
for that one coaching Svitolina. How do you think that will be, a former
rival of yours there in the opposite camp sort of across the net again?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It really doesn't matter. It's just really about going out
there and playing your best. That's really all I can do right now. That's all
I look forward to doing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports