US OPEN


August 29, 1998


Venus Williams

U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Flushing Meadows, New York


MODERATOR: Is everybody here? Questions for Venus, please.

Q. Venus, when did you make the decision to drop out of the mixed doubles?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I never made that decision.

Q. It was in the Times this morning.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It was just doubles. Women's doubles.

Q. Not the mixed?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

Q. Oh, okay. I'm confused.

MODERATOR: The report was regular doubles.

Q. I may have read it wrong. Venus, you're back at the Open walking around
today. What goes through your mind when you think back on last year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I had a lot -- a pretty good time. Not too much goes through
my mind. I'm basically thinking about this year. Last year is finished.

Q. Venus, how do you think your chances are for this year at the Open?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think my chances are great.

MODERATOR: Other questions?

Q. Your home game has improved in every way since last year, actually. Your
whole confidence, your strokes, the ability to come to the net. Everything
seems to have progressed at a really rapid rate. Do you feel that?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I've progressed. Sometimes I don't think I have. It's
because I like to get better than what I am currently. I think I have gotten
better. You have to because everyone else gets better and it's up to you to
stay with them.

Q. How do you feel physically?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Good, thank you very much.

Q. Can you compare this year's field of women's tennis in this tournament
with last year's? Is it deeper this year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think it's the same competitors basically. I think
they're all playing better tennis definitely.

Q. Anybody in particular you think might be tougher this year? Graph or Seles
or Davenport?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I generally don't concentrate on that because it's so
important just to figure out what you're doing first, straighten out all the
problems that you might have, just get things straight for yourself. In the
end, you worry about someone else.

Q. What would you say is the biggest change between Venus in the '98 Open and
the one we saw in '97?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I haven't played yet.

Q. Going in. What's the biggest change in your game in the last year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think my serve is much better. It's moving faster, but, I
guess that doesn't really make a difference always. I would say I'm much
smarter; I think I play better shots. I make better selections. I know I win
matches from my playing well or if I'm not supposed to win. So those are a
couple things that have become better.

Q. Have you gotten to see Queens much? What do you think of it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I honestly can't tell you the difference between -- I don't
know the difference.

Q. What kind of rehabilitation have you been doing on your knee in the last
couple of weeks? How much time has it been taking you daily to do that?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just think that some rest and just regular stretching,
things like that, making sure you take care of yourself. That's all.

Q. Is this something you're going to have to do for a while? Is it a
long-term sort of thing?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think it's long-term at all.

Q. Venus, in the big picture of your career, are you about where you expected
to be at this point? Are you pleased with how you've progressed? Do you think
you'd even be higher up?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm somewhat pleased. I thought maybe I'd be higher up. But
it's difficult when you're an athlete because you always want to be better.
Sometimes you have to be happy where you're at, sometimes not very long. When
you get there, then two days, four days later, it's time to move out of the
position. I always want to do better.

Q. Can you tell us about your line of clothing and when you expect to be a
full-time designer?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm not going to be a full-time designer at this moment in
time. I have seven different dresses that I'm wearing, seven different
matches. That means I'll have to play seven matches. Also, I got to design
the warm up that I have on now. I was able to pick the color. My favorite
color is blue and yellow.

Q. I have a question concerning Steffi graph. She's older, she's another
generation of tennis. What do you think about her coming in?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's great. Everyone wants to see her come back.
Everyone's routing for Steffi. When she goes out there she's probably really
here to have a good time. She really wants to be there. She's probably
enjoying it a little more. I can't speak for her, but we're all happy to see
her.

Q. Do you use any sort of special technique in order to keep yourself
motivated right before a starting match?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No special techniques, not yet.

Q. Did you see the big poster on the side of the building?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I saw it. I saw it.

Q. What an impact. Quite an impact.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's a nice picture. I think I picked it out. I was happy
with it. I was glad it turned out nice.

Q. What do you think you need to do to get over that mound and win the whole
thing this year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I played well last year, and this year I need to also
play well like I did last year, do some of the same things, and just be a
little bit more serious, work a little bit harder, and do some of the right
things. I guess I couldn't do too much more right than what I did last year,
maybe have a couple easier matches.

Q. How old were you when you started playing tennis?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Four and a half. (Laughter) .

Q. Venus, you and Serena have had tremendous success in mixed doubles but
your partners, while they're very good, are not the very elite. Could you
explain what there is about both of your games that makes you do so well in
the mixed?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, we like playing doubles very much so. We enjoy
ourselves. Serena and I have never played a team sports like basketball or
even baseball. We never really did that too much with a team. So doubles are
kind of fun for us because instead of just one person on the court it's two
persons and four persons so it's different. We like playing things, and we
have good partners.

Q. Do you have any memories of last year's Ashe Day festivities and what it
was like to be out on the court there?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think Serena and I had the same thing on. We were twins,
but I was a little taller. It was a lot of fun. It was different.

Q. The idea of the day itself, what it means and what you're giving to the
kids who are out there watching you for that day.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It means a lot. I think people definitely recognize what
Arthur Ashe did and they try to make a better example to everyone around
them. Serena and I can remember this also, make sure reevaluate ourselves,
make sure we give our best because he did.

Q. Venus, there's been a lot of publicity in the last few days. There's a big
article in the Times today and there's printed stuff about Althea Gibson.
What is your feeling, have you read about her? What do you know about her?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I know something about her. I couldn't say I know everything.
But I do know some things about her.

Q. Would you say that you've sort of -- you feel that you're a pioneer in the
sense that she was or that she blazed a trail for you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think, definitely, she did more than what I could have done
or what I have done. So to emulate her success would be great. And I think
maybe like ten years from now I could look back and see what I might have
done. I'm still in the process.

Q. Have you studied the draw, do you do those sorts of things and look at how
you're situated?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I have not studied the draw at all. I am quite aware that
Serena is at the top now and I'm at the bottom. But that's about it.

Q. Are you ready to predict an all Williams final?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I did that before, didn't I? It's a great possibility. I'm
going to encourage her; she's going to encourage me.

MODERATOR: Other questions?

Q. Why do you wear the beads? (Laughter)

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it started a long time ago when we practiced all day.
We did a lot of practicing. It was not very easy to comb your hair. So my mom
braided our hair, and put beads on them. Then you don't have to do it for six
weeks, you don't have to do your hair every day. It's very hard. I'm not that
good at doing hair, I never really learned. I guess it's my fault, but that's
why -- we like it. That's why I wear it.

Q. What was the choice with white today?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I've had color for a year and a half now. I haven't had white
for a long time. So I was getting a little tired of the colors. I think I'm
going to put a little more color in. It doesn't look right white. It's been a
while -- because I haven't had it white for a long time.

Q. How long does it take?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I very long time.

Q. And your mother does it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, she aids me.

MODERATOR: Any last questions? Thank you.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Thank you all very much.

MODERATOR: We have a special guest, and he is the Secretary of
Transportation, Rodney Slater. Rodney is going to come up and he wants to
meet Venus, and Steve Campbell. Steve, would you please come up. He's one of
our champions. This is Mr. Slater, Rodney Slater.

SECRETARY SLATER: I just want to make a presentation to Venus. This is one of
our Buckle-Up America shirts, and I'm here with

Dr. Martinez, who is the head of our organization that deals with highway
safety. And, Steve, my pleasure. Good meeting you as well, but the reason I
wanted to take this opportunity is because with these two individuals and
with all who will represent themselves and will represent the sport so well
in the U.S. Open, which is the most prestigious tennis tournament in the
United States, they celebrate life. And, unfortunately, we lose about 40,000
people annually in automobile crashes. And all too many of them are young
people. And so we have this effort that's ongoing involving a network of
champions, and we're going to try to encourage these two to join us in that
regard. They will join Venus and Larry in getting the safety message out and
in telling parents to buckle up and to buckle up their little ones, to put
them in child safety seats, and if you have the opportunity to do so, always
put a child who's below the age of 12 in the back seat of the car. And,
again, buckle up and make their travels safe. Transportation is about more
than concrete, asphalt, and steel; it's about life and our pursuit of
happiness. Venus, I'd like to make this presentation to you and I'd like to
wish you well in the tournament.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Thank you.

SECRETARY SLATER: I also consider it really an honor and a pleasure to do
this and to be here on Arthur Ashe kid's day. Mayor Dinkins, come on up, Mr.
Mayor. Good seeing you, sir. But Arthur Ashe, as you know, was not only a
great athlete, but like the individuals here, he was a great humanitarian; he
was a great representative; he was a great advocate, and he represented all
that is good about this country. And I think that's what these individuals
represent and all these athletes who participate in the U.S. Open. So on
behalf of our president and vice president who see safety as the number one
transportation priority, I'm just here to say to America, buckle up, and use
this most important safety device.