TMS - FORO ITALICO


May 17, 2000


Venus Williams

ROME, ITALY


Q. Welcome back, Venus. You know, about one month or two months ago I read
where an agency told us that you were going to stop playing tennis. It was
very scary. It said, "Venus Williams considering an outstanding stop. Her
father suggested her to stop in January 2001." One year. So I can see you are
back, and I must think that this was totally invented?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don't know. Things always get out of hand. Any small
news that is not news becomes news. I'm back. I'm playing all right. This is
my second tournament of the year. I'm feeling all right. I was having fun
today. That was the most important thing. Even when I was not serving my best
or playing my best, I was still having fun. I still have fun playing tennis.
This is what I want to do at this point. If I decide this is not good for me,
I'll definitely retire.

Q. You're staying with us for the moment?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. Yes.

Q. Did your injuries make it likely that you wouldn't be able to come back?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so, it just took much longer than what I
anticipated. They just kept bothering me; they wouldn't get better no matter
what I tried, so I just had to stay out with the fear of reinjuring myself
and not being able to play for a longer period of time. Mostly, I'm ready to
go play. I kept saying to my dad, "I'm ready, I'm ready." My dad said you can
make your own decision, but I suggest you pull out, so I listened and I think
it was a good idea. So I'm pain-free now.

Q. It's very early. You've only played three matches since you came back. But
how much below what you consider your best are you still at the moment?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I'm really starting to play better now. Starting
last week in Hamburg, I was a little iffy. Not that I wasn't -- it was just
tough. I was not practicing very much time, and I was -- I just had to learn
a tough lesson. And this week we've been practicing hard, playing better,
I've been thinking about my tennis off the court. And I feel better. My shots
are going a lot better. I think my shot selection is better also.

Q. How tough mentally is it to come back after having a long time out?

VENUS WILLIAMS: For me it's not very tough. I'm not sure for other players,
but I watch a lot of tennis. I watch all the tennis on TV. So I was thinking
a lot when I was not playing, and it was almost as if I was playing tennis
because I was thinking about the things I could do when I came back. So when
I came back, I was actually a little bit smarter.

Q. Have you been on a diet? And, if so, why?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I've never been on a diet. Diets don't work.

Q. Are you still studying or did you take a break?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, yeah, I was studying, but I didn't have that many
classes because I thought I was going to be playing at the beginning of the
year. But I haven't been studying. I'm not studying this quarter or -- I'm
going to go back in October, but I don't think full-time because I missed so
much at the beginning of the year. So, yeah, I enjoy studying and one day
I'll have a degree.

Q. What do you enjoy more studying?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I like playing tennis more. Studying is a real job.
(Laughter.) And now I understand my job now. (Laughter.)

Q. Venus, you are interested in fashion this year, or your sister?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. Because tomorrow we have here a very famous stylist, a good friend of
mine, Missoni, one of the best. Would you love to meet him, speak about
fashion, do something?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's a great opportunity. As long as I don't have to work,
sure.

Q. I'll arrange it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: As long as he doesn't question me.

Q. We'll try to arrange it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: All right. Thanks.

Q. How much did you miss tennis in the six months you were out?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I missed tennis, but I had a lot to do. Every day was packed,
and it was like I was the one at home so I did everything. I became the
business women. I did things for Serena, things for my mom, things for my
dad, things for myself, and everyone's affairs I handled. So they were mine.
And for me, I have a lot of things I do outside of tennis, and I missed it. I
wanted to get back. I did everything I could to get back when I could, but I
had fun. It was me and my dad, watching TV late at night, he said, "Venus, go
to bed." "All right," then I'd fall asleep on the couch. This was every
night. So when I had to leave, it was strange. No more TV on the couch with
daddy, so...

Q. Venus, it seems like you moved much better today than in Hamburg. How and
where did you work in between the tournaments?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I thought I was moving okay in Hamburg. I moved
more effectively. We've been working on making more shots. We had been
working on movement more. It's just a matter of time. I was really off in
Hamburg. I was thinking what I wanted to do but I couldn't exactly do it. But
here this week I'm doing more of what I want to do. I'm actually executing.

Q. When you listen to the television, you took the voice of the commentator
out or you listened to them?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I listened to them.

Q. You listened?

VENUS WILLIAMS: What are you talking about?

Q. Because I know them all. So when I watch the television, I take the voice
out because I can tell by myself what's happening.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.

Q. You listen?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's strange because there's no applause, there's no -- you
don't hear the crowd. It's just very quiet. No, I listen to it.

Q. There is one you like, between the Americans of course?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Serena. Sometimes she commentates.

Q. Yeah?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. What news can you bring us of Serena, Venus? How is she?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Last I heard, she had lost her passport. (Laughter.) She was
in Miami getting her passport, she was talking to me about three minutes, she
said, "They called my number." I haven't heard from her since. So... She has
her passport and that means she's coming.

Q. Coming to Paris?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. You have the straps on your wrist, how is it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's fine. I'm feeling real good. If I wasn't good, I would
just be shipped home. Yeah... But I'm feeling all right, and I'm feeling no
pain. It's not holding me back from my regular shots.

Q. How much fitness work were you able to do when you were injured?

VENUS WILLIAMS: When I was at home?

Q. Yes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, my dad, he wanted me to do a lot of fitness work, but I
usually found a way to get out of it. He said, "Now, Venus, what time do you
want to do the fitness work," I said, "I'll be home at 5 o'clock," and things
went wrong and I didn't come home at five. And it's no fun running.

Q. Venus, have you brought a different dress for every day of the week, and
do you think you'll get to use them?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I got quite a few, but I start liking a particular dress and
I don't want to get out of it. If you request a special color, I could maybe
pick it out. (Laughter.)

Q. Red next time?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't wear red for the simple reason that last week when I
wore red in the second match I didn't win it. So I can wear red in the third
match.

Q. How about blue?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm sorry. Blue was last season. (Laughter.) Say yellow.

Q. Yellow?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Okay, yellow. (Laughter.)