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U.S. OPEN

September 5, 2016

Serena Williams

New York, NY, USA

S. WILLIAMS/Y. Shvedova

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. 308, you're now ahead of Roger. What does this milestone mean to you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it's really exciting. I just think winning 308 matches in general is pretty awesome. For that to be in a Grand Slam is pretty cool.

Q. Would you care to elaborate on just the significance of that specific number and how you think it compares with some of the other milestones that you've achieved.
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's a huge number. I think it's very significant actually. I think it's something that, you know, just really talks about the length of my career, in particular. I've been playing for a really long time, but also, you know, given that consistency up there. That's something that I'm really proud of.

Q. Do you think it's felt like business as usual? Through the first four matches, has it felt pretty 'standard' for you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I just feel like I'm going out there doing what I need to do. I'm not overplaying, I'm not underplaying. I'm just trying to play my way into this tournament.

Q. Many players retire early. Talk about your pride in the length of your work. What has been involved in all the grinding and hard work?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I can't really speak to it. I think it just comes from a different place of the just love and really enjoying it. I definitely never thought I would be playing still. Now I don't really see when I'm going to stop because I'm just enjoying these moments out here, getting to break records that I didn't even know existed or I didn't even know was possible.

I think when you really enjoy what you do, it's different.

Q. Do you think the times off, all those hardships, then getting Patrick to come on, was all that really key and helpful in a way?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think everything just kind of worked out the way it was supposed to, even though I probably didn't want to be injured, I didn't want to have those surgeries. I feel like it was able to help me stay out here longer.

Q. Were you able to watch Venus' rollercoaster match?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was really trying to warm up. I get really nervous when I watch, so I didn't really see much.

Q. Did you know when you took the court what happened?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, of course. I knew that she lost when it was over. But I didn't really watch what was going on.

Q. You have not been broken this tournament. You've literally faced one breakpoint. When you're serving that well, how much does that bleed into the rest of your game? Do you feel like it offers you the chance to swing more freely, play your return games with more aggression?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I feel like it definitely helps me to be able to know that I can hold. Yeah, I definitely feel like I can play returns easier.

But with that being said, I'm just trying to stay in that serving moment, just not serve over myself, just get high percentages in.

Q. You said on court you didn't really know why you're serving so well.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, 'cause I don't think I really served in the summer until I got here to New York, so... It was a really tough summer for me. Maybe that's the key (smiling).

Q. Many players are making the quarterfinals here for the first time, making it to the final eight club. Do you know about that and is it an important thing for you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: My first time being in the quarterfinals, I felt like I needed to go further. I'm sure a lot of people feel that way, too. That's just how I felt.

Q. Do you plan on coming back to these tournaments in the future when you stop playing? Do you think we'll see you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know honestly. I can't say that you wouldn't. I've had so many wonderful memories at every single Grand Slam. But I would imagine I would want to come back and enjoy it as a spectator, just really have that fun and enjoy that.

I would imagine, absolutely.

Q. Visualization. How important is that for you to be able to see yourself as the 2016 US Open winner?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it's really important. You have to see it and believe it before it happens, you know. I think that is something that is super important.

Q. It's your fifth Open since you and Patrick teamed up together. Could you speak a little bit about his integration into your team and the evolution of your relationship with him over the last four years.
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's been amazing. I absolutely love working with him as a coach. I don't know what it is about our chemistry. We just tend to work great together. It just works.

He's been a great addition to my team. He always has my best interests. So I think that's really important, as well.

Q. We had the greatest athlete discussion the other day. Do you ever think about what other sports you may have been great at?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Not really. I definitely want to stick to tennis right now. But, no, I never really thought about it.

Q. Could you have seen yourself even playing anything else when you were little or trying anything else?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I definitely did more artsy sports when I was growing up. Yeah, I wouldn't know what I would be doing. Probably, if anything, I'd be in the fashion business, yeah.

Q. I don't know if you can handle this technical question. I noticed you have very long nails. Do you play tennis with those or you just come in the press conference with those?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, no, I pop them off before I play. And then I do them right before press just so I can impress you (smiling).

Q. They look nice.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Thank you.

Q. Can you think of a favorite memory or story relating to Armstrong Stadium?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I played Kim Clijsters there in '99. I want to say it was like the third round maybe. Boy, it was a tough one. I was down. Somehow managed to come back and win that match.

No one knew who Kim Clijsters was at the time. She became such a wonderful, great player. I was just on the come-up myself. That propelled me to win my first Open. That's something I'll never forget.

Q. You haven't faced a seeded player. You'll face one next with Simona. Do you recognize that as being a step up? Do you take it just as a quarterfinal match, another opponent?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I just think with everyone I play, they play a step up and above their ranking. I think that's the beauty, one of the reasons I'm able to hang. Everyone I'm playing is playing like they're No. 1.

To me it doesn't really matter who I play because I have to expect they're going to play the match of their life. That's how I go into these matches now.

Q. The other day you said you were waiting for Serena to come out again. Is this about as close as it's going to get? Was she there today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, she's coming. She hasn't quite come out yet, though.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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