TMS - THE ERICSSON OPEN

March 26, 2000

Serena Williams

THE ERICSSON OPEN

WTA: Questions for Serena.

Q. Can you talk about your match today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I played okay. I think maybe my opponent didn't play
her best tennis. I made a lot of errors that I thought I had tried to
eliminate out of my game. I don't know. I'm going work more on my serve. My
serve wasn't really kicking today. Other than that, I got the win. That's
what really counts.

Q. What kind of errors? Was it one part of your game?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I would say it was more or less all over. You
know, that's okay. As long as I'm doing good and think positive, that's what
really matters.

Q. Is this tournament more special to you than others?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I would say so because it's at home, I love to come here, I
can drive. It's not that far away. A lot of family members are here. It's
great. It's one of my favorites. It's nice. I like the stadium. It's real
comfortable. I like the air. I like everything about it.

Q. Who was here from your family today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: My dad. Venus is here. I guess that's it. My mom is tired.
She's had enough for now.

Q. Is it windy up at your home?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Are you windy (laughter)?

Q. Conditions down her are supposedly windy. Is it as windy up at your home?
Are you used to that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: The windiest it's ever been was definitely at Nick
Bollettieri's. It's so windy there. I used to practice there a lot. It's not
as windy at our home. Sometimes it is, but not too much.

Q. The conditions here don't bug you really?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I've never felt the wind. I remember I always used to watch
the tournament when I was younger. I thought, "Wow, I have to be ready for
the wind." I got here. Three years in a row, I have yet to feel wind. I feel
windy at times.

Q. When I ask a question, you feel windy.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no (laughter).

Q. If you could get in tennis any wish that you could have, in any way, what
wish would you ask for?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'd wish not to ever lose another match.

Q. What do you think the chances are of that happening?

SERENA WILLIAMS: They're slim to none. Even the greatest, Martina
Navratilova, I think she had a year 53-3. That's a fabulous year. I don't
remember. She might have had more wins.

Q. Two losses.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Two. I want a year like that, hardly any losses. That's
definitely what I would like to do.

Q. Can you imagine having played the original Martina in her prime; what
would that be like?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I always wanted to play her. She's my favorite player. I
used to admire her and John McEnroe so much. They used to be my favorite
players. It would be nice to play against her, even hit against her.

Q. Do you think you could handle her serve-and-volley?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I have a strategy for serve-and-volleyers. I don't run into
many, though, not on this tour. I would be ready. I'd have my game ready.

Q. What did you like about McEnroe?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I liked his attitude on the court. "You can't be serious." I
loved that. It was in the '80s. Oh, man, the decade we all could forget
(laughter). Fashion-wise, whew, yeah. Otherwise, it was great.

Q. What was so wrong with the 80's fashion-wise?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, everything. The belts to the side, this to the side
(shoulder off), the collar up. It's not fashionably correct. To this day, if
I see people walking around, I don't like it. It was a fashion decade - just
a decade we could leave behind.

Q. Are you going to lose the red shoes?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no, not at all.

Q. What is your secret strategy on serve-and-volleyers?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I can't tell you. You know I can't tell you. There might be
some serve-and-volleyers. Novotna retired. Is there any serve-and-volleyers
on the tour? There might be one coming up. I have my strategy for her.

Q. Is your biggest goal in life still to win Wimbledon?

SERENA WILLIAMS: My biggest goal, my dream when I was younger, was to win the
US Open. Now I'm ready to move onto a different championship like Wimbledon,
I want to get as many wins there, and at The Open, as possible.

Q. I assume you're very close with your sister. Does it take some of the
pressure off not having her here this week?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, no. It would be better if she was here because I
know she would knock out some of those top players. It would be great. I have
to do all the work now. When she's here, she usually takes them out.

Q. When she's watching you, like today, does she come back and give you
advice?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, sometimes. She's played a lot more players than what
I've played. She's played a lot of players that I've never played before. She
usually tells me what to do against them.

Q. After the match, I was walking away, I heard you say something about your
dad, nominating him.

SERENA WILLIAMS: The Tennis Monthly Recap nominated him for coach of the year
because he has had two players in the Top 5 that he's coaching. Everyone says
that his way is not the normal. What's the word I'm looking for? Gosh, I
can't think of it right now.

Q. Conventional?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Exactly, it wasn't conventional. He did things different. No
one thought that we would really be top, top players because we didn't play
Juniors. My dad was my coach. We needed a new coach. He's what we need. He
really just totally helps my game. He's definitely the best coach out there.

Q. When is the next issue?

SERENA WILLIAMS: The next issue is coming out. We're doing a couple special
articles in April.

Q. Where did you say you nominated him?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Tennis Monthly Recap; it's a big publication.

Q. Since your father has been your coach, can you imagine what it would be
like, Lindsay's dad has virtually no involvement with her career, can you
imagine what that would be like, having a father who wasn't involved with
your tennis?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, if he wasn't involved from the beginning until my
career now. Was her dad involved when she was younger?

Q. Never.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It would just be something I would be used to, more or less.
Whereas he's always been there. It's like kind of hard to say how I would
feel if I've never had that. If he wasn't there in the beginning, I would be
used to it, I'd have another coach that would help me the same. He's always
been there, so he's my coach.

Q. What is the best thing you've bought with your earnings from playing
tennis?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I really don't buy much actually. I've cut that out. I'm
trying to buy stocks now just in case I have an unfortunate accident, I will
be settled and set. I don't know. I really don't buy much. I have never
bought a car.

Q. What stock do you invest in? Internet stocks?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I want to buy them all. I'm getting some upcoming stock
that's about to go public. I don't want you guys to get it because I want it.
I think it's going to do really well. I'm going to invest in it. I want it
all. I'm not going to let you in on it.

Q. If you had a choice to buy stock in the WTA or stock in the ATP, which
would you put your money into?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Right now, I would definitely put my money into the WTA. I
mean, there's a lot of young ladies out there that's really exciting to
watch. But it might go up and then fall.

Q. When is Williams Bus Company going public?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You'd have to ask my dad.

Q. Do you think realistically that the WTA would have a problem with all the
strong young talent that's there right now?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, tennis has become not so much a game -- I think
it's more the excitement that the players bring, that we bring, Venus and I
bring, that Anna brings. We're doing something different. We're not doing
everything else that everyone else is doing. First of all, Venus and I are
black. There's not many black people out here, to be quite honest. You want
to see something different. It's different. I know there's a lot of young
players coming out, but I don't know what type of personalities they have
that can keep people interested. I don't know. That's why I said it might go
up; it might fall.

Q. Can you talk for a moment about Anna. Do you respect what she brings to
the game? What do you like and maybe what don't you like what she brings to
the scene?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I have no problem with her. She's always real nice to me.
She always asks about the dog. She has a dog, too. He's a big boy. I never
met him, but she talks a lot about him. She's nice. She's real nice.

Q. Going back to Wimbledon. You said how much you wanted to win there. Is
something really different about Wimbledon, obviously the grass, the weather,
the whole mindset?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I want to be able to win the biggest tournament ever. I'm
not sure if it's Wimbledon or the US Open, so I'm just going to try to win
them both. I've just got one down, one to go.

Q. What tournament do you expect we'll see you and Venus playing in next?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Who knows? We might play Roma or French Open. I don't know.
I don't know. I don't know her schedule, I only know mine. I don't know if
she's going to be in it or not.

Q. You do expect to see her back on the courts?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I expect to see her back and competing soon.

Q. What do you think about Sugiyama?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think she played her best today. I played her
before. I think she played a little bit better. I don't know, it was a fun
match for me. I'm glad to get it under my belt.