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WIMBLEDON

July 9, 2016

Serena Williams

London, England

WILLIAMS‑WILLIAMS/Babos‑Shvedova
6‑3, 6‑4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Between the singles and the doubles today, what were those few hours like? Were you hoping for the men's match to go longer and shorter?
SERENA WILLIAMS: When I saw that they were winning, I thought, Oh, my God, I hope they at least go four sets, because I was still getting taped. The ceremony kind of helped out a little bit.
It was good. When you win the singles, there's so much adrenaline. You have an opportunity to play the finals of doubles, you want to stay out there.

Q. Obviously you have done this before, one of you winning singles, coming back to win the doubles the same day. Where does this rank? Not many people get to accomplish this.
SERENA WILLIAMS: For me it's pretty high. I think you won in 2000, and we won doubles in 2000. Now it's 2016 and we did the same thing.
For me, it's unbelievable. It's a feat even I couldn't have thought would have happened. It's amazing.

Q. You mentioned you've been on‑site 13 hours every day. It must be strange working as hard as anyone after so many years.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I guess I played one match short of Serena, just shy of 13. It's a privilege, it's an honor. When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning. To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it's another dream come true.

Q. Serena, do you have to decompress from the singles then lock into the doubles or you just ride the high and take the doubles as it comes?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely ride the high. I ride the high. I don't want to decompress too much, then go from being so high to being low. So I kind of take that and then go on from there to keep that energy going to the doubles.

Q. You're 14‑0 in slam doubles finals together, which is pretty incredible. Is that a record that gives you confidence or are you nervous you might ruin it the next time? How does being undefeated this long feel in that sense?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't know about that stat until yesterday, that we were 13‑0. It's not something you really think about. You just get to the final and try to win.
It was something to think about. I don't think it made us nervous. You got time. If you get down a break, you always have time to get the break back. You can always go to a third. When you're out there, you probably realize you have a chance to go for it again.

Q. Serena, does this ever get boring, winning all these titles? How much longer do you think you can keep it up?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I would obviously like to keep it up for as long as I'm still out here playing professional tennis.
Boring? No. It doesn't get boring. As long as I'm winning, it doesn't get boring. Even when I'm not winning, it doesn't, because it makes me want to work harder so I can come out and hold up titles.

Q. There was a video going around on social media of Serena's match point during singles. Everybody in the box jumped up and pumped their fists. You and Beyonce sat in your chairs a little bit, delayed reaction. Was that just focusing on doubles, or you didn't realize the match was over?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Actually, I thought the score was 5‑3 (laughter). I don't know what the deal was. To be honest, I lose the score a lot in my singles and the doubles. A lot of time I don't know when we're serving or returning.
I don't know. I do that a lot. I'm not sure why I thought it was 5‑3. I missed the moment. I'm like, Why is everybody standing? I thought, Wow, this break is really important.
I've done that a lot. I've done that literally on match point. Once in the doubles, too, I thought it was a break and the match was over. So I do it a lot.

Q. The other day you said it's not good enough to be great, a great athlete must be extraordinary.
VENUS WILLIAMS: What did I say?

Q. Great athletes say that great is not enough, you have to be extraordinary.
VENUS WILLIAMS: That's deep. Let's leave it at that. Couldn't say it better (laughter).
I do not remember saying this. I was in a trance. Another thing I don't realize I'm doing.
For sure, when you're out there, it's never good enough. It's never good enough. We both played a great match. We wanted to play better. Our opponents had a great tournament. They still wanted more. When you're an athlete, you're greedy. It's never enough.

Q. You're both aware of what you've done in singles, but do you feel like one of the greatest doubles teams in history?
SERENA WILLIAMS: At least in Grand Slam finals.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. Is it a coincidence that you've come back and won this title right before Rio? Trying to build into that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, we needed to play some matches before the Olympics. We haven't played in ages. So we started playing in Rome. Played the French. If we get lucky, we'll get a chance to play in the summer before Rio.
Hopefully this puts us in a good position, because more than anything we want to represent the U.S. the best we can. We don't want to come in rusty.

Q. You mentioned you won this in 2000. How would you say you're a different or more evolved doubles team now?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I'm a little better at the net and being aggressive in crossing. I think we definitely communicate better on the court, yeah.
We always were pretty good at just the basics, you know, serving and returning, really staying on our side. But now we're just better as a team, which I think works.

Q. Do you feel your age or just when the media remind you of your age? You guys look wonderful, have a great energy. How about age? Do you feel your age?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think age is ‑‑ I don't know. Who said that our age is old? Who put that stipulation on it? 'Cause it's working for us, so...

Q. Do either of you remember your first doubles match you played together, whether it was unofficial, standing on the same side of the net playing? What do you recall of that initial moment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, we were so close that we thought we didn't have to say anything because we knew each other so well. So we didn't think we had to tell each other where to serve or any of that. It was such a disaster. I think when we came off the court, one of the players said, You guys have to talk.
Since that time we've improved. We didn't win the match.

Q. Do you know where it was?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Was that at the Open? I think it may have been at the US Open. I think.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

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WIMBLEDON

July 9, 2016

Venus Williams

Serena Williams