US OPEN

September 7, 2004

Serena Williams

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Serena, please.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't want to talk about it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I don't need to see the replay because I know my shots. I know my ball was in. People have told me they were in. Not only was it in, it wasn't even near the line.

SERENA WILLIAMS: At first I thought it was another Wimbledon conspiracy. I thought she just got the score wrong and I just wanted to clarify that I had won the point naturally because I know my shots and I saw the ball. And I knew it was in. So, you know, yeah, you know it's not maybe why I lost the match but I believe it would have at least been on 3-Love at that point.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Like the Wimbledon thing where Venus had, you know, the call. I said, "Okay. Wait a minute now. Maybe she just got it wrong." So I said, "Okay. I just want to make sure that, you know, the score was right and it was my advantage."

SERENA WILLIAMS: She told me she overruled the ball.

SERENA WILLIAMS: She said she overruled. I said, "How could you overrule a line that far away? Why would you even overrule that shot? It didn't even touch the line." I mean, did it touch the line? No, it didn't even touch the line. And so, I mean, obviously, I was, and still am, a little disappointed in that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I would have won that game and then I think -- did I win the next game? So I was able to break back, but naturally it would have been 2-Love. It's just... I'm not making excuses. I mean, I didn't lose because of that. Maybe I should have closed her out in the second set, you know. Maybe shouldn't even have been a third set.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no. After the second game, after I think -- was I down 2-1 or up -- I was down 2-1. So, you know, was totally gone by then. But I was just, you know.. Then I began to think, "Okay, well, maybe my ball was out." I never argue. I'm never one to argue on the court - never. And that's just not who I am.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Honestly, I began to think, "Okay, well, I'm not going to go for the lines. I'm not going to go for my shots because, you know maybe," -- I just thought maybe they would call it out. So I started to play a little more safe.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I consider myself the great -- the best right now. I mean, even though I haven't won, you know, a Grand Slam this year, I've competed in three. I always consider myself the best. I mean, not only on the court, but off the court I always try to have a great attitude, win, lose, or draw. It's a game. I'll be here next year. I'll play a tournament next week.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, when you become the best, then, you know, things are tougher. People try harder to beat you. You know, if you can't beat them, then it's just -- I just think people try harder.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, if you look at it that way, it does seem like a coincidence, right?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I know my balls were in. It wasn't just that point, that's the thing. I know my shots. I know in the last game those balls were in as well. So it's like, what do you do? You just got to keep fighting.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, uhm, I never get bad calls. I never get bad calls. And so I'm not -- you know, I think eventually in the game it's going to eventually come, the Shot Spot. I think that's just inevitable. But I have never really gotten any bad calls. It doesn't really matter to me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I did. I thought she had got the score wrong. I was going to call the referee. But she claimed that, you know -- I guess she went temporary (sic) insane.

SERENA WILLIAMS: When you know you could win, yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm... I don't know. It's like when you lose like this, it's like, "Well, well..." I don't know. It's like I know I should have won or I could have won. But, I mean, like I said, it probably shouldn't even have been three sets. I probably should have closed it out in the second and I didn't.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Very angry and bitter right now (laughing). I'm extremely angry. Bitter (laughing). I'm upset. I feel cheated. Should I keep going?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I just feel robbed.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm out of the tournament now. So I guess the lady didn't want me to be in the tournament anymore.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think Venus had a worse experience than me. But, you know...

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think not only that, it was other balls, too, that I hit in. I think she should at least, you know, became an umpire and not just, I don't know what she was doing out there. You know, I don't want to, you know, pressure her or anything, but if anyone in here thinks it was fair, can you please raise your hand so I don't feel alone in this battle (laughing). Okay, just want to make sure.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Like I said, it probably shouldn't even have been a third set. That's probably not the reason why I lost. I probably should have closed out in the second or I came out stronger in the beginning of the second. You know, even in the last game, although my balls were called out, I did have an opportunity to break. But I guess I can't really help that part, but... I had plenty of opportunities, I guess.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm not tired at all.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm... I just -- I just feel, uhm.. It's almost better this way because it's like, "Okay, you've been cheated. What do you do? What can you do?" The other matches, I definitely was more disappointed at Wimbledon.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, my sister said, "Don't be discouraged." I had like 50 unforced errors. (Laughter). And if I had three less, I probably would have won - two less. I told her the same thing after her match.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I can't say I have but, you know, I don't want to make excuses and say I lost because the umpire cheated me, which probably does have a major factor in it. But at the same time, I think, you know, you got to give credit to Jennifer, I guess. She had a good day umpire-wise. Usually she has bad days.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Like I said, you would think -- I mean, why us? Why not, you know, someone else? Or maybe it is happening on maybe a Court 11; I don't know. So I can't really make it up.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, the WTA obviously are really good and they came to apologize. I said I expect a letter of apology as well. In a professional arena, we should all keep it professional. I'm professional. And I think that's the least the umpire can do.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was the people, the two ladies in the WTA. I don't know if I should give their names or not. I don't want to bring them into it. They were kind about it and they came immediately because they knew, you know, that it was something that probably shouldn't have happened on a far, far line in the middle of an intense match.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I mean, I heard she was upset, so... I mean, if anything, I think I should be upset, you know? But it's a sport, I guess. It's always next year.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I would just expect her to express her apologies to me and why, you know, she would -- but I'm sure she made the best judgment of her time. Although I can't imagine that -- the ball didn't even hit the line, so I can't imagine that she would make that judgment. But... It's not why I lost. I lost because I wouldn't play right.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't remember that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm... I don't know. I really prefer if she not umpire my courts anymore because she's obviously anti-Serena.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's not her job to make line calls. It's really not her job. That's why they pay the line judges, who did a wonderful job - at least that particular one. And then the umpires. So...

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, that's why I asked the umpire to overrule the shot because I knew those balls were in. Really. I know my shots. I know my shots and I know when I make them and I know why I miss them. That's why I never complain.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's been a tough road but I'm comforted by the fact that I probably shouldn't have been here anyway and I've made a great effort. And I'm comforted by the fact that I didn't have enough time as I would have generally liked to do better and to prepare for this event. And it's comforting to know that I have a lot to look forward to next year, because I'll be much more healthier than I am right now. And that is the only thing keeping me from being really upset.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm not to be playing right now, so I don't know what I'm going to do. I know I want to go to some different countries and play, but it's like I don't know what I'm going to do.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think she had a game plan just to get every ball back and wait till I make mistakes. So I don't think I played well. I mean, I'm not going to sit here and say I played a great match; I don't think I did. I think I played like an idiot.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, uhm, I don't know. I don't think -- I try not to live in the past. That's pretty much the past. I try to live in the future. It's just a disappointment because I really was planning on winning this tournament. But like I said, she played good and I pretty much dug my own grave and got in, pretty much covered myself up with the dirt (laughing). So I pretty much killed myself out there.