WIMBLEDON

July 4, 2002

Serena Williams

MODERATOR: Serena is going to play doubles shortly, so we're on a tight schedule.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm very excited about Saturday. You know, the past three Grand Slams I've competed in, I've been in the final of all three, so that's not bad (smiling).

SERENA WILLIAMS: I didn't know going into the match. Normally, you guys take the liberty to tell me. At the French, I was actually a little nervous about being No. 2. No one said anything to me, so I wasn't really looking at the points. I just thought I was farther behind. I was really excited. Shed a few little tears. I'm a real emotional person (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I really don't. It's just been a goal of mine. I just don't know -- I don't know. I haven't even been able to settle in right now.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It really feels great. I've really been working hard. You know, at points in my life, things went down. You know, game-wise, I wasn't playing a lot. I had a lot of injuries. Especially in the beginning of this year, just seems like, you know, they just weren't looking so up. I just decided to fight, and things just turned around for me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: One in a million.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's tough enough to raise one great player. That's why I appreciate my parents so well. They've really done not one, but two. No matter what people say about my dad and my mom, hey, they've made some champions.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I haven't talked to her about it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. Later on in the year, I have lots of points to defend (laughter). I don't even want to come to next year. But right now I'm just enjoying the moment.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, actually I'm a very sensitive person. I'm not as strong as I seem - only on the court. But off the court, I'm a real baby (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm the first to cry, especially in the movies. Actually, no one even likes to go to the movies with me. But just in general, I always have to have my way because I'm the youngest. It's just something.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, yeah, you know, what happened at the US Open, I think I was too satisfied. I was very satisfied with my game. I thought -- I really thought I was going to win, just because I'd beaten some other players, and I had won Toronto. I went in there a little overconfident, a little cocky. She really beat me that day. Next time I played her I think in Miami, I thought, "Okay, you know what, I'm just going to go in here, do my best. I'm not going to expect to win." The way she played me at The Open, it was like, "I'm just going to go out here and fight." I think I've grown mentally more than anything because maybe at the time I was too overconfident, maybe - I don't know - thinking, "I can do this." But now I'm thinking everyone is a fighter and they're going to fight me, you know, with as much strength as they have.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I think it's maybe something that -- I don't know. I've just been focusing a lot more mentally on my life, just try not to have a lot of distractions. I don't know. I've even been reading my Bible more. I'm growing up as a person.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. It's going to be quick because we both have big serves. I haven't lost serve in three matches, so I'm really happy. Venus is running very fast, but I don't know how fast we're going to be able to run. The court is extremely fast. I don't know.

SERENA WILLIAMS: We're not big celebrators in our family. We're very low-key. I never celebrated from winning the French Open, as a matter of fact (laughter). Just because I'm No. 1 doesn't mean that I don't want to win Wimbledon. I'd rather win Wimbledon right now because maybe the ranking would come later on. So I'm really focusing on playing Venus. I have to play pretty close the way I did today to come close to beating her.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, it's just -- I don't think it necessarily affects the quality. For me, I'm different. I go out there wanting every point. Doesn't matter who I'm playing. At the end of the match, if I win, I'll feel really bad. A win's a win. You have to go there and fight. I know Venus has beaten me a few times. She felt bad. Like when I beat her at the French Open, I kind of felt like I wished there was something that she could have won, too. But we did. We both walked out as winners. We both should keep our heads up. We're very happy.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I try to put it as if I'm facing other players. But obviously, I'm not. I'm facing the best player in the world right now, and it's going to be difficult.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, come on.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was worth a try (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I came out here knowing -- I seen her practice the other day. I saw if I was even going to have a chance against her - because the way she was practicing, she was going to do very well against Capriati - I just knew I was going to have to pick up my game. I'd have to be Serena Williams, you know. I haven't been being Serena Williams. But today I have. I knew I had to take away her coming to the net by playing my game, forcing her. It's going to be difficult coming in on a ball that's coming a hundred miles an hour groundstroke. I think that's going to be very difficult to do.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Was it? I love when people serve me out wide. I just love hitting that forehand. So to me, hey, go for it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not at all. I'm still waiting for the catch. There's always a catch. I guess there's not. I'm very happy right now. I've worked hard. I've worked really hard. I deserve it (laughter). I do. I worked hard. Times have been tough. I really do deserve it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Just overcoming a lot of injuries that I've had in the past, you know, a lot of negative things that you guys tend to write sometimes. But just overlooking that, just growing up as a person, just being better about everything.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, Venus -- this is going to be the most difficult surface for me to face her serve. She has a good serve here. She's been doing well here. So I've been practicing, trying to hit with her in practice. It just kind of skids. Actually, I've been returning better against the other players because of Venus serving to me, because she's just been serving unbelievable. She runs very well. I'm going to obviously have to hit two to three, maybe four more balls that she would get that someone else wouldn't get. And that's always a problem for me because, especially at the US Open, it was a nightmare, she just ran down every shot. So, you know, that's what I'm going to try to use, just run down a lot of balls. I'm going to have a lot of fun out there, really. I'm going to go out there and really try to win Wimbledon. I want to belong to the All England Club.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It hasn't. I mean, again, no one ever tells me anything, so I didn't find out. Actually, before Venus played, I was practicing, the reporter was saying things. You know, I don't really pay attention to anything - well, like that. But, hey, I don't see how it could affect my game, him being arrests. I'm a strong person. I try not to let things like that affect me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm a very -- I can tell the difference between me and Venus on the courts, I'm way more emotional, I pump my fists more, I scream a little more. It's just totally different. I think in the past, it's affected me because I would get down on myself. But now I actually, you know, whatever happens, I don't get down on myself anymore. I just keep my head up because things could be worse.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it's definitely good for the sport. I mean, we can get a lot of minority kids into tennis, just get new faces. It's going to be a great impact for the sport. We're really excited about it.