ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2019

Serena Williams

Paris, France

S. WILLIAMS/V. Diatchenko

2-6, 6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. We have not seen too much of you this year. You have had injury troubles.
How were you feeling physically out there today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Physically I felt pretty good. Yeah, I've had a lot of
injuries. I'm usually not an injured player. But I sprained my ankle in
Australia and everything went downhill from there.

I think I'm finally on the mend. But yeah, it's been a really interesting
year for me thus far.

Q. You said you had some nerves on court afterwards. How would you compare
this first round case of nerves to maybe some others on this court?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was weird. You know, I have been dealing with a
lot, and then I just got nervous out there and I stopped moving my feet. And
I was, like, concrete blocks on my feet. I was, like, You gotta do something.

But compared to other matches, I'm always a little nervous in Grand Slams,
especially in the first round. But just -- I don't know how it compares, to
be honest.

Q. Obviously she played a great first set. Then you sort of worked out the
puzzle of how to deal with her. What do you feel was the turning point for
you from the second and third set?
SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I was just making so many errors. Every shot I
hit, I felt like I was hitting on my frame. I usually don't hit balls on my
frame.

I was just off, basically. And then instead of correcting it, I just kept
getting worse, just to be honest.

I knew it couldn't get worse, and I knew I could only go up. That's what I
told myself. I just gotta keep positive.

Yeah, it was just a strange start to that match, for me.

Q. Early in that second set you made a mistake. You let out a bit of a yell,
stomped your foot. You sort of began to play much better from there down to
the end of the match. I'm just wondering, in a moment like that when you have
sort of a release like that, what is that like for you? And how can that
affect you in the middle of a match?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I forgot about that. I don't think I have ever done
that before. Usually I do that at a point or after a shot, and I just was so
frustrated at that point, because I have been training well. I have been
having -- the past week and a half has been really good, and, God, it was,
like, This isn't the Serena I have been practicing with or that I see every
day (smiling).

I was just so frustrated. I just let out this roar, and here I am. Yeah, so
maybe that helped. Like I said, I have never done that before. Usually I do,
but it's after a shot. But this time, it was just like, Ahh. Yeah...

Q. You're fairly used to coming into Grand Slams without maybe having played
a lot of matches. Do you feel like you have enough tennis in you to find your
best level here?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I feel like -- yeah, I do. I have enough tennis in me. I
have 30-something years' worth of tennis, so I'll be fine.

Q. You are always sartorially elegant and you like to make a statement with
what you wear. Today you wore a kit. I thought you looked like Super Woman.
Firstly, can you tell us about the statements on your cape? And what super
powers did you have to use today to win the match?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we have, on the outfit it has words that has -- it's
in French, and it says "Queen," it says "Champion," and it says "Mom," and
those are things that mean a lot to me and reminders for me and for everyone
that, you know, that wants to wear it. Just remind everyone that they, you
know, can be champions and are queens. So I love that about it.

And I don't know, my super power today was just hanging in there and staying
positive for once (smiling).

Q. I'd like to know if it was a coincidence that when you were showing, let's
say, the bikini or whatever it's called, you were doing not too well. And
then it was quite cold and wet, and then you covered better yourself and
suddenly everything change. So you won the second and third set in 56 or 57
minutes. Do you think it has nothing to do with that? Were you suffering a
little bit the cold, or something like that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm just crazy, to be honest. I think everyone knows
that now. I just needed to change. I was, like, I've got to try something
different. It's not my forehand, it's my clothes; right (smiling)?

So really, that's it. I'm just mentally a little off (smiling).

Q. Any time you're losing and you put your hair up into a bun, people say,
Okay, now the match can begin. For you, what does that signify? Is that what
you said in the last answer, just, it's the hair's fault, or...
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think about it. I have heard that before, but I just
think, I've gotta try something different, because it's definitely not my
serve. It must be my hair.

It makes no sense. So it's all in my head.

Q. Going back to the beginning of that second set and you talked about the
shouting out and the release of emotion, were you aware that the crowd had
really responded to that, as well? And they started cheering to you? And how
much are you able to draw on and sort of feed off the energy of the crowd?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was aware that they started -- they were behind me I
think before that, as well, but at that moment they stayed behind me, and
they gave me the support that I needed just to come through that.

Q. There was a fourth word embedded in the print, if I'm not mistaken, "Dé
esse," or goddess? Those four words. That's a lot to carry, isn't it?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. It is a lot to carry, but so is being Serena Williams.

Q. Can you enjoy your time at Roland Garros, or can you only enjoy it if you
keep winning?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, there is only one way for me to enjoy it here. I
don't enjoy places when I don't win, so that's why I like playing in all four
Grand Slams.

Q. Going back to the dress and the words on it, how do you feel that your
sponsor was probably treating pregnant women differently until now apparently?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Can you elaborate on that question?

Q. Well, The New York Times said your contract was kept intact during your
pregnancy and other women under contract with Nike lost some money.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes, I actually read that. I understand that Nike has been
really lately supporting women a lot, and it started with making a statement
with me, and they said they want to make a change. They want to support women
that want to have families and that want to be moms.

I'm glad that statement was made, and I know that herefore and going forward,
they're doing better. That's what it's about. It's about learning from
mistakes and doing better.

Q. Are you surprised that they had that policy in place? Why do you think
they didn't apply it to you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I believe that in the past people don't perceive women
athletes and having babies at the same time as they can still be athletes.

I feel like as time goes on, as technology changes and as, you know, the
world changes, people realize that we have to change our policies. We have to
look at old policies and change them.

And I think that Nike wanted to do that, and they started doing that. And so
I think they made a really bold statement by doing that with me, and I think
they're going to -- I know, actually, that they're going to continue to make
that statement.

Q. Did you consider at all just saying, Pass on the French Open, after so
little clay court tennis and the injury you had in Rome and just go to
Wimbledon and the grass? Or did that never really seriously cross your mind?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It crossed my mind every day, but I'm here. And to do the
best that I can do.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports