TELECOM ITALIA MASTERS

May 16, 2003

Serena Williams

THE MODERATOR: First question for Serena, please.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Wow, I would say I have the ability to stay mentally tough, for sure, and I have the ability to pick up my game when I'm down. I have that fighting spirit.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think tennis is mostly mental, for sure. I think having strong mental capabilities definitely enables me to be a stronger player.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's something that's definitely innate. My mom's really tough mentally. I think my whole family is. It's definitely something that I was -- a characteristic that I was born with.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I just became -- in that moment it's really tight, and you always want to at least try to get the first set so you don't have to fight really hard in the second. At that game, I just think at that point I just tried to pick up the level of my game and that way I would be able to be a bit stronger. I think I just hit some good shots and I was able just to come through.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, it should be a good match. I guess I haven't played her on clay; I thought I did, but I guess not. So, I mean, I'm ready. She's playing very well here, so I have to make sure that I kind of pick up my game and maybe come out a little more serious tomorrow, because she's definitely here to win. So I have to , hopefully, try to stand in her way.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I talked to her yesterday. We talk a lot. We talk nearly every day.

SERENA WILLIAMS: She's good. She's looking forward to coming back to Europe. She likes Europe. She loves Europe.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was able to see most of the second set, and the tiebreak was unbelievable. Actually, I was a little nervous, I felt butterflies in my stomach. I was like, "Oh, gosh." And some of the shots were just... So I got to see some of the match, yes.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Everything motivates me. The drive and the opportunity to walk home with another win motivates me. Just, I don't know, I just get out on that court and I just start to think, "Oh, let's do it today."

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, there's definitely not many black players before me that played tennis. And besides Althea Gibson and Venus, I don't think there was any other black players that were No. 1 at one point and just doing so well consistently. It's good to have that role model. When I was younger, I had an opportunity to look up to Zina Garrison. I know when she got to the finals of Wimbledon, we were all really excited and wanted her to do really well. It was just a big thing for me to make my goal to be, "Wow, one day I would like to win Wimbledon." So I hope that I am a good role model for a lot of other young, black girls playing - and not just them, minorities, period. Just to come out and have fun, enjoy the sport. They have an opportunity, too, to do something different. You don't have to play basketball, you can come play a little tennis; it's better anyway.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I don't know. There's a lot of young -- you mean black players?

SERENA WILLIAMS: In my family, oh, no. We don't have any other plans. Not that I'm aware of.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, when I was younger, there was this movie, "Little Mo," that we always watched. And you know how movies are - usually only 10 percent is true. But, I mean, the story was amazing. She was so young and she accomplished so much. She was so determined, and she always worked on her tennis herself. It was just a great story and a great movie and just so tragic. Like, I wanted to, at one point, accomplish a lot when I was young. I wanted to win a Grand Slam when I was pretty young. She just did so much so quick so soon. I just admired that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not so soon. I waited a little bit (smiling).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, yeah. I'm starting my own fashion house, fashion design home, fashion line, and I'm really interested in that. I've been doing a lot of research on it these past few months - actually, past few years, but really, really, really buckling down these past few months. I like to do different things in acting as well. I really enjoy it. There's a lot of different things that I do - mainly those two.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm definitely not holding anything back. I think I had to take Conchita Martinez very seriously as well. She seems to love to win this tournament. She does really well here. But I just think Mauresmo, at this point, is playing very well. I'm playing very well as well, so it should be a good match.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think eventually; maybe not in my tennis career. But there's so many chemicals right now in meats, and I have a very weak stomach. I've already cut out pork and beef, I just eat chicken and fish. I mean, not now, but maybe eventually one day.