US OPEN

August 26, 2002

Serena Williams

MODERATOR: Questions.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Of course not. This is more of a cat suit. It's not a wet suit.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Wet suit has long sleeves and it's usually longer and thicker material.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's made of Lycra. It's supposed to have the illusion of looking a little bit like leather from a distance. But it's made of Lycra because it kind of sticks to the body. It kind of really sticks to what type of shape you have. If you don't have a decent shape, this isn't the best outfit to have.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely, very rusty.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's feeling okay. It's okay. Nothing to complain about.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I wasn't really listening. Obviously, they're pulling for Corina. She's had an amazing story, so...

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's definitely very courageous to be able to come back after all that she's been through, just be able to be in the atmosphere again, make it this far. That's definitely really courageous. It takes a lot of courage and character to be able to do what she's done.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think not in a Grand Slam, no. You just have to kind of brush it aside. Unfortunately, it's like this. It's like animals out here on the court. But off the court it's a different story.

SERENA WILLIAMS: This is designed by Puma, of course. I didn't design it. I added a dart here or there, but it wasn't my design, unfortunately. Normally I come up with the best designs.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, she really liked it. She said it was a great outfit. It was really fun and really exciting and very sexy. I mean, she just basically described me (smiling).

SERENA WILLIAMS: We were talking all the time about her comeback previously. I just told her, "Good job, way to fight." But we talk all the time off the court. We talked a bit about how it was, how difficult it was. It's a scary situation to be in.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no, I was in serious therapy with strengthening muscles here and there. It's been intense for a week, a very intense week.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, ice. I'm always icing. I've become numb to ice now. But I ice. That's basically all I do. Maybe get some stim on it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, of course. I would always check up and read in articles. I called her a couple times to see how she was doing.

SERENA WILLIAMS: My God, yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, just very erratic, very disappointing play for me tonight. But, I mean, no matter what I can do, I can't rewind time, I have to move on to the next match.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Just make sure she was okay, Venus and I. I just called her a couple times. At this point people are receiving lots of phone calls from their family and friends. You never know what tomorrow's going to bring. No one is guaranteed a date the next day anymore.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it was her cell phone. It was definitely a cell phone.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It doesn't bother me. This is an innovative outfit. I don't think anybody's worn anything, except going back to Ann White, at Wimbledon. But hers was long, it was all the way to the bottom. It's a new time. I mean, like I said, it's really nice. It's really sexy. It just kind of clings. It's really cute. You know, I love it.