AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2005

Serena Williams

THE MODERATOR: First question for Serena, please.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Sure, yeah. I was comfortable. Want to elaborate?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I was a little nervous going into it. But after the first game, I was okay. I thought if I just get the first game, then I'll be all right. I think that's just first-round nerves. That's it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I have a bad habit, like I always slip in and out of my shoes like they're flip-flops. So I never tie them. So I just slip in, I go out and play matches, and slip out. I guess I forgot to tie them.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I had to take time off so my stomach could heal because I didn't want to tear it. It was a severe strain and I didn't want to get it so bad, so I had to take some time off so it could heal properly.

SERENA WILLIAMS: We were doing a lot of charity events. We did the Williams Tour with McDonald's, and that was great fun. It was really successful. I filmed a TV show, actually, I had a lot of fun doing.

SERENA WILLIAMS: "All of Us."

I did a fashion show. Gosh, I did a lot (smiling).

SERENA WILLIAMS: It is. It's lovely down here. I've missed it. I really like this surface. I enjoy playing out here a lot. I have good memories out here, so... It's fun to be back.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's a TV show.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's a sitcom.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Elise Neal and Duane Martin. It's produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I played two roles. It was fun. I never do comedy. They have been begging me to do a show a lot, but I never got the right script. Finally, I saw this amazing script. I was playing -- I never play myself, but they wanted me to play myself and my assistant. My assistant was really kind of out there, she was really insane and very, very unprofessional. So it was really, really a hilarious script for me. I thought, "Okay, I have to do this." So it was a lot of fun. It was like playing two characters.

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I'm not sure. I'm not sure if it came on already. I think it might have aired last week.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I played Serena Williams and her assistant. Her assistant was kind of -- wore this really loud blonde wig. It was really short. She was really eccentric, I should say.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Her name was Wanda (laughing). I had a tattoo that said Wanda. Wanda was very ethnic (laughing).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Definitely Wanda. I really got to stretch my comedic roles. I was really going out there. I ad libbed so much. I was working with Debbie Allen, which was great for me because I never worked with her and she's amazing. That was so fun. She was like, "Okay, do whatever you want to do. Stretch. Make Wanda really, really eccentric." When she told me that, I just really went for it. I had so much fun. I kept adding lines. The next day I'd see it, the lines I added, I was like, "Oh, cool."

SERENA WILLIAMS: Definitely not.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely wouldn't be here if I didn't think so; I'd rather stay home. I always see myself as someone that's coming here for seriousness and to win the tournament.

SERENA WILLIAMS: After that point, I was going to pull out and I just started hitting balls as hard as I could. And then I was surprised that I even went up 4-Love, honestly. I was in a lot of pain. I was really just happy to be competing at that point still.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, my goals are just to win pretty much my matches. I think Grand Slams will come with it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Physically I'm feeling very good.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't like to talk about it because it's like I'm doing good and I don't want to jinx myself.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I usually never double-fault. I think I double-faulted four times today, or five. But I shocked myself. I was like, "What?" But it's okay.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it's too long (smiling).

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I like the length. It's perfect. It's so flowy and it's very sheer, very see-through. It's so flowy that any shorter wouldn't be appropriate, so we definitely went with a longer length. I love how it just pops up and down. It's so flirty and feminine for me. I love it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I have other changes but I really like this. We'll wait and see.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I designed the warm-up and the outfit, yeah. I pretty much am involved in a complete collaboration where we get together and we just design everything as a team so... I'm very hands-on.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. You know, Wanda, she's a little crazy. She likes to wear really -- outfits that are really out there. So I tell Wanda, "I can't dress you, but, you know, you have to be more professional as my assistant."

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes. I love how you use good, big words. I love that (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: I love that. I mean, come on, who was on that list? I mean, it was Lindsay Lohan. I'm sorry, she wears simple clothes and she always dresses nice. Jessica Simpson, I have never seen her dress bad myself. She wears some of the best clothes. I mean, it was just, come on now. It was like taking a shot at all of young Hollywood out there and me too. It was just like they took a shot at all of us. I'm like all these people -- most of the people on the list, I have no problem with Nicolette Sheridan, what she wears. To me, she always looks good. So I didn't understand that list. I think he was just, I don't know, upset that young Hollywood is doing so well and taking over.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think there's a player out there who would see their name against mine and go, "Oh, my God, yes!" So...

SERENA WILLIAMS: What?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't know. I don't hang out -- I don't know. I feel that, like I've always said, when I'm at my best, no one can beat me. I think that's just the bottom line.

SERENA WILLIAMS: The doping allegations?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm not.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think there's no need to accuse anyone of anything unless there's hard proof.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I have no points to lose early on, so hopefully I'll play a few tournaments early and... I don't know. Couple years ago I was No. 7 and I ended up top. So I kind of like the position that I'm at right now. It's hot.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'll play a few indoor. I'll play Miami, obviously; I love that tournament. Few clay court events (smiling).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, no, that's my vacation period because I'm playing a lot overseas in Europe. I usually like to chill out around Indian Wells.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's in Delray, are you serious? Oh, I'll really want to play. I'm going to play for sure. I really look forward to it. I really want to play for Zina, I haven't been able to play with her yet. Oh, I'm so excited. That's perfect. It doesn't get better than that. There's no way... (laughter)... they did that on purpose.