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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2018

Venus Williams

Wimbledon, London, England

V. WILLIAMS/J. Larsson

6-7, 6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel to be back at Wimbledon?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's great.

Q. Is it one of your favorite tournaments on the circuit?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's everyone's favorite tournament.

Q. How were you able to reestablish control in that match after the first set?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, honestly I really haven't played her before. She played well. There were moments where I could have played better, and was just playing better in those moments in the last two sets.

Q. A natural sort of adjustment period, first match in a few weeks?
VENUS WILLIAMS: There's really I don't think any answer to it. You just do what you can when you can, and hopefully at the end you walk to the net a winner.

Q. It was quite warm out there, for Britain anyway. Was it difficult at any point for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I live in Florida.

Q. That was a no then?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Uh-huh.

Q. What are your thoughts on LeBron James going to the Lakers?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm sure he's happy, I guess. I don't know. I actually don't have any thoughts.

Q. I don't know whether you heard Judy Murray's comments this morning where she said that tennis was basically due its #MeToo moment. She expressed concern about vulnerable young ladies on the tour maybe being abused. She said she heard examples of this. As one of the more experienced ladies on the tour, do you think tennis needs a #MeToo moment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't really comment on that.

Q. One of the traditions here, of course, is wearing white. What is your thought about that, given your sense of fashion and the different outfits you've used at other tournaments?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I love wearing white. Tradition is nice when, of course, it makes sense. I think wearing white. Everyone looks good in it. You can't lose.

Q. Have you always felt that way? Has your view of wearing whites evolved?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I like it a lot more now than when I was younger, yeah.

Q. How come?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think maybe when I was younger, I didn't like rules as much. I still don't like rules that much, but I've come to really enjoy the white.

Q. Do you have a routine for how you recover from a match like today, going into the next one? Has that changed at all in the last couple of years?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it just depends on the match, the routine changes. It could be long or short. You have to just play by ear, she how you feel.

Q. This year is a special year in that the two great tournaments during the summer, Wimbledon and then the US Open, are celebrating their 50th year as open tournaments. A tough question, but if you could point to one or two of your most special moments in each of those tournaments?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I've had an opportunity to be a champion in those tournaments in singles and doubles. So clearly those moments were extremely special. Had some moments in the finals, too. Thankfully I've had a lot of great moments at both events.

Q. I just noticed that you have something on a ring finger. Something new that we don't know, missing some news?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, no.

Q. Maybe married or something?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I've been wearing this all year. You got to be a little faster (smiling).

Q. Always the same person?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Now look...

Q. How does the grass affect your serve? How does it affect your thinking about how you employ the serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: When you serve, you have to serve in no matter what surface it is. I'm still going for a high first-serve percentage. Same deal.

Q. As you've seen your game change, obviously played here for so many years, what have been your observations of your serve on this surface?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I like getting in the first serve here. I think anyone does. The courts are slower now, so I don't think it's the same as before. Like I said, it's about the first-serve percentage regardless of any tournament, surface speed, what have you.

Q. You don't traditionally play any grass court tournaments before Wimbledon, which is different to your prep to the other slams. How did you get set in that routine? How does that make the first round of a Grand Slam different?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I got set in that routine because I didn't want to play any grass court tournaments before, so...

It worked out.

Q. Why did you not want to?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It rains too much and I wanted to go home.

Q. Chris Evert has said, in the interest of gender equality, it might be a good idea for Wimbledon to alternate who plays the first match on Centre Court, the men's champion, then the following year the women's champion. Do you have any thoughts on that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm not really sure what that means.

Q. The first match on Centre Court this year, say, is Roger Federer. Next year it would be the reigning women's champion.
VENUS WILLIAMS: You're saying alternate Mondays?

Q. Yes. It's always the men.
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's an interesting thought. I haven't given that thought.

Q. The women's final on a Sunday?
VENUS WILLIAMS: That's also an interesting thought. I haven't given that thought either.

Q. Maybe you have thought about the men talking about Laver Cup, Davis Cup, ATP World Cup. Nothing is happening for the women. Why?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What's happening with the men? They got what?

Q. Adding a new tournament in January. Sort of team tennis.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't read any news. I don't know what's happening on the tour.

Q. Laver Cup, have you heard?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It happened last year, right? I don't know. I don't watch tennis.

Honestly, I don't know any of these answers. I really don't know what's going on on their tour. I'm sure it's amazing. The WTA is amazing, too.

Q. Would you like the women to have some more exposure, like a team competition?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, we do have exposure. Just because someone else has a successful event, it doesn't negate success for the women. I'm very happy for them. It doesn't mean we're not successful, as well. It's just one event.

Q. Serena said after having a baby, she's been surprised by how competitive she still is, how much she still wants it. Are you surprised by that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. No, not at all.

Q. You said you cut the grass season out before this event because you wanted to be home. For somebody that's always been on the road for as long as you have been, what does being home mean to you? Has that changed over the years?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, the mental rest is just as important as the physical. I've had the same preparation since the '90s. Being able to go and rest a little bit after the clay court season works for me. Other people have other methods.

You have to choose your own way.

Q. Can you talk about being an aunt? What's the experience been like? Has there been one special moment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, this is number four for me. I loved being an aunt, and still do, all four times. Each and every time it's a special time.

Q. What music, if any, do you listen to as you're headed toward the court?
VENUS WILLIAMS: None.

Q. What affects your decision?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Nothing.

Q. How come?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just don't.

Q. What is your routine? Does it stay the same leading up to a match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just try to be ready, on time, so no one's upset. That's about it. Nothing special.

Q. Is it very boring for you to answer all our questions? Sometimes we have the feeling you would love to leave.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, I have other stuff I need to do, like get ready for the next match (laughter). But I just keep it real, you know. If you like it or love it, it's just real.

Q. Talking about the next match, do you know much about your next opponent? Do you know much about her playing style?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm not really sure if I've ever played her. If I did, I'm sure it was a competitive match. She's a real competitor. I know she's had some injuries, was in the top for a minute there until bad luck happened.

I think it will probably be a similar match to today. I don't know what will happen on her side, but I will try my best on mine.

Q. The consistency, especially at big tournaments, what's the key?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What's the key?

Q. To be able to summon your best tournament after big tournament.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just hang in there, you know. I don't know. I'm not sure why other people go up or down. Every day is not your best match, but you try to win that match anyway.

Q. What do you look back on as your most satisfying victory here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Had a lot of great ones, including the Olympics. Each victory is exciting. And it's never a given. It's well-earned. I've enjoyed them. Obviously the wins in the finals were amazing. Each one is exhilarating, gives you a chance to hopefully get to the next one.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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