NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 26, 2004

Serena Williams

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Serena Williams, please.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm... Definitely. I was out there, so I definitely felt that I was finally back, yeah, for sure.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was a bit windy out there so we didn't have too many long rallies. As you all know, I've never given myself 100 percent, I'm pretty much insatiable. So, no, I didn't play as well as I wanted to play.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I was very nervous going out there. I think my dad was with Venus, practicing. So I was just waiting on my own. But I was a little nervous. But then I decided that I'm just gonna go out there and do the best I can.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, it's a lovely outfit, one of the best I've ever worn. It's by Nike, of course. It's wonderful silk, actually.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's actually silk. So I have to get it dry-cleaned all the time. I have a few of them, but I have to get them dry-cleaned. I can't regularly wash them. It's a very light silk fabric. The silver part is actually very breathable and very lightweight and not hot at all. Its corset design makes me look very, very slim and trim in the waist. It really brings in your waist.

SERENA WILLIAMS: (Laughing) you, too, can have one. So, yeah, that describes it. I call it a "Corset Dress." Very Hollywood, very Hollywood glam with the silk.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Cumberbun? A corset, a corset.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, the jacket that goes with it also is a corset jacket as well. It's a dress, as well. Fabulous design. It's a little longer than my dress, but not much. So it kind of goes with the outfit. It's also silk with a breathable silver fabric.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I had a lot of input into the design, which is great with working with this team. They have this vision. They give me a sketch. I'm like, "Okay, wow, there's not much I can say because it's already so perfect." But I told them when I first met them, I said, "Look, I'm really into looking really good on the court. I don't have to be very comfortable. If you guys want to change it up and use different fabrics that a lot of players don't want to wear because they're really into the comfort and really into being able to perform, I am, too, definitely, but I don't have to be as comfortable as the next player (laughing)." They were so excited to hear that. But working with them, they actually found a fabric that was very comfortable and very breathable and very light, but still had this metallic look about it. So it was very exciting.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I give them sketches. I make dresses. I'm a designer as well, so it works out. We're all a team and we all collaborate.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's a big team. There's Mindy. There's a very big team.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was very windy today. The past two days when I was practicing it was extremely windy, and I wasn't encircled in a stadium. So I heard the report it was going to be windy and wet on Friday, so I wanted to make sure I practiced a lot in the wind. I don't know why; we're close to the water. This time of year is just really windy.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It makes it difficult. You can't hit as many winners as you want. Sometimes you think you have a shot then it sprays on you because the wind takes it at the last minute. But you get used to it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: They didn't want me to come back too soon and ruin my chance of just coming back at all. Every time I would say, "Okay, I'm ready, I'm gonna go play this tournament," they'd say, "I don't think you should go because it's according to what we get..." They took more tests. They said, "We don't think it's proper." So at the end of the day it wasn't my decision. I would have been out there at the Australian Open. It was mostly the doctors.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm feeling really good now.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I definitely felt I've been away. I haven't been around this atmosphere in a long time. Just being around the whole facility and then going out there, people really cheering for me, yeah, so I've been away a while (smiling). I felt it, but it's good.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I had a few in the beginning. Once I stepped on the court, however, they were gone. But before I stepped out, I was definitely a little bit nervous.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Who wants to play long matches (smiling)?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Everybody's changing their games.

SERENA WILLIAMS: What did I do best...? I have to go back and look at the film. I think I could have done a lot of things better, actually. I think I miss-hit a few balls, I made a few errors. I think I came in pretty well, my approach shots.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm... Well, when I was fully fit -- I think I'm fully fit and healthy now. I'm just out of tournament play a little bit. But when I'm fully fit and healthy and I'm playing well, I've always said it's very difficult to beat me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, definitely. I don't care who I play. It really doesn't matter. Eventually, I'm going to have to play everyone anyway. So honestly it doesn't matter to me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I could tell that she was a little bit nervous. I mean, it is kind of hard to play a player that everyone's hyped up so much about the big comeback. "She's finally back, she's finally coming." Being the opponent, you kind of feel a little nervous as well, so yeah...

SERENA WILLIAMS: I've established a lot of goals for this year. I don't relate my goals because I like to keep them to myself.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Practice-wise, fitness-wise?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I'm going to go compete in Amelia Island, play Charleston, and hopefully I'll go to Fed Cup. I'm really excited about that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, Italy, France.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Hopefully not. Clay is definitely easier on the body, so it will be a great transition this year. I'm really going to do well on the clay.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Hmm... Well, I've forgotten how long it could take to play. Fortunately enough I was first on today. Usually I'm playing behind Marat Safin who's playing Fabrice Santoro at the French Open. It goes all of five sets, 7-6 in each. But this time, that's one thing I just thought about, so...

SERENA WILLIAMS: Obviously, seeing everyone around, it's been a long time.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, hmm... Both of them -- well, today, being my first match back, I would say I was a little bit nervous. I mean, first going out there. But once I stepped on the court I was okay. Watching myself on TV, the same with today, I'm very critical of myself. I like to have things really perfect at all times. So that's the same with watching myself do a role, a different acting role. I'm extremely critical of myself. But, you know, it gets better and I learn, I take notes in both scenarios. I learn from each experience.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I've had a lot of opportunities. A lot of people say that, you know, "Serena isn't serious about her tennis, she wants to go to Hollywood," which is true. I would love to get a lot of acting gigs. But you wouldn't believe the stuff I turn down because of my tournament schedule. I'm like, "Okay, I can't do that. I'm trying to play tennis here." "Gosh, that's too bad." I turn down so many different roles. I don't remember your question (smiling).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, my next role? I don't know, I'm not looking to do anything right now because I'm trying to play tennis.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I would do well beside Chris Tucker, actually. I think that's my role, I think that would be my role, I would excel at that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: They were.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: She was practicing so I didn't have time to talk to her.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Gosh, I don't know. I thought staying focused, but I think I stayed pretty focused out there today. I don't know. I don't know.