ROLAND GARROS

June 6, 2021

Serena Williams

Paris, France

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/S. Williams

6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just looking at the last few weeks, how would you assess your experience
at Roland Garros off the court and on the court?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I got some good matches in here. I did not have the
best clay court season, but, yeah, it was good to finally get some wins on
clay.

Q. Could you talk us about that match? Any regrets from your perspective?
Anything you would have changed or done differently?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think I would have just played harder and played
better. I don't know. Just played, I don't know, better, I guess? I hate
regretting, though. But I definitely would have just tried to do that.

Q. What were your expectations coming into the tournament? Do you feel that
you leave it in a better place than when you arrived?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm in a much better place than when I got here. You
know, just literally trying to win a match, because it had been a really
difficult season for me on the clay. And although I love the clay, I was,
like, if I could just win a match (smiling). Yeah, that's kind of where I was
kind of coming in.

Q. Do you think you might be tempted to play a warmup grass court event
before Wimbledon? Generally, how do you feel about grass as a surface coming
into that compared to clay?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm kind of excited to switch surfaces, but
historically I have done pretty well on grass. I have done pretty well on
clay too. Just not this particular season.

I don't know. I don't think I'm going to play a warmup.

Q. Will you go home now, I presume? When will you look to head to London, how
long ahead of Wimbledon?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I haven't really thought about it yet, but possibly, yeah,
go home and regroup and then get ready for London. But I don't know. I have
to get there early for quarantine, so, yeah, it has to be pretty soon.

Q. Could it be your last match at Roland Garros? Are you not thinking about
it anymore?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm definitely not thinking about it at all (smiling).
I'm definitely thinking just about other things but not about that.

Q. I'm sorry you lost, but do you think your case is similar a little bit to
Roger Federer? He's also not too young anymore. Clay is probably the most
difficult surface for someone who has to run a lot and move and to make
points and so on, while on grass Federer thinks he has much better chances.
Do you think that too for yourself and that gives you some confidence?
Because you haven't lost 6-1, 6-1. You lost a very close match, don't you
think so?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was definitely close. I'm so close. There is
literally a point here, a point there, that could change the whole course of
the match. I'm not winning those points. That like literally could just
change everything.

I don't know. I wouldn't say the same about me, but everyone feels different.
Maybe this particular week, but in general I wouldn't say that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports