HOME DEPOT CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 10, 2002

Venus Williams

Q. Can you go through what happened, how it happened?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Basically, I twisted my ankle during the match against Monica. At that point, I just twisted it and I kept going. There was no problem. I didn't really feel the affects until last night as I was sitting in bed and I realized my leg was hurting.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's not really the ankle. It's the calf muscle that it happened.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't remember when I did.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I felt fine. I felt fine. I had a really light practice yesterday, because I was tired from the match, and I hit, like, at 9:00. I got home at 12:00. I didn't move a lot, but a lot of times you twist your ankle and it doesn't show up until later.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not a tendon.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Calf.

VENUS WILIAMS: Yes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. A lot of times when you have an injury, with the adrenaline and other things, you start not to feel it in the match. I figured maybe I would have that opportunity, but I wasn't really able to move or get on my toes or change directions effectively. There's also a certain amount of fear that, of course, the pain you have already, and then the more pain that you can get if you go too far.

VENUS WILLIAMS: We just discussed a little bit my options as far as if I could tape it further. I already had it taped to the max. I didn't know how much more I could do. Things were already going pretty bad. I don't know how much worse they could have gotten. I was hopefully trying to get a point off of hitting a good serve, trying to end the points quickly.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I was a lot more disappointed than what I thought I would be. Before I came out, I realized I was having pain just walking. When I was walking off the court, I started to get a little emotional. I didn't think I was going to be that upset. I'm better, but I'll take it one day at a time and talk about it to whoever will listen.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Actually, I got worse after the practice this morning.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just wanted to try to see what I could do, basically. Of course, this is a championship I've never won or even been in the finals here. That would have been nice, but for me, it's just mostly my health, and I don't really like to play in pain. My dad never encouraged it, and I'm really not accustomed to it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, he said it's just a match. I didn't tell him about my injury before.

VENUS WILLIAMS: He didn't realize it, because on the practice court, I didn't move a lot and stayed in one position and that kind of thing. I don't always tell him about injuries, unless it's something that I just have to. I don't want to make him nervous or anything.

VENUS WILLIAMS: He would say, don't go out there hurting, it's just a match. You are smart, you can do whatever you want.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: He didn't tell me that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I was pretty much injury-free until the other night, and I was okay. Of course you have aches and pains, but this is normal when you're pushing your body to the limit all year. I think I was okay this year. Last year, not really. The year before -- I have had some tough end-of-the year injuries, but this year was all set up until now.

VENUS WILLIAMS: How has she done?

VENUS WILLIAMS: She did twist her ankle too in the beginning of the year, and you have to consider she did play 12 tournaments only, but out of those she won 8 and a finals appearance every time. That is quite a schedule.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'll never forget that, that's for sure.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Because just it was a pretty intense moment to go through, and not many people have to go through those kinds of things in their lives.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really, because it's enough to have to go out and play a semifinal match and be serious and ready and not to be nervous, but to go out knowing you have a strike against you and you have an injury, it makes you more nervous than usual, because you're concentrating on tennis and also on your injury also, so it's two different things to deal with instead of just one.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, but I gave it one more try.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I did once, actually the same injury, but that was in '95, and I was hardly on tour. I was just back then playing intermittently. I was pretty much in high school. I was 15.

VENUS WILLIAMS: That was Amelia Island. It was worse than this. My whole calf just exploded. I didn't understand anything about injuries.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Just to rest, you know, do therapy and the whole nine-yards as usual.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Is she?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Under ideal circumstances, it would be nice for Serena and I to both be in the finals, but you know, if I was out there, I would play different, but obviously, I won't be out there at all, but you know, I just don't feel like watching a match. I'm on an emotional train and I'm tired and I have been through a lot today. I hope she wins, but I can't watch it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I actually love the European tour after. It's just that I have been always busy. I have had school and am working on various projects.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I believe I played in Moscow, but it didn't last long.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was, I was tired. I really felt motivated to come here, though.

VENUS WILLIAMS: In the beginning, I didn't take very good care of myself. That was basically what happened when I did start to qualify for the championships, by the time the end of year came, I was finished. Now things are better. If I do have an injury, it's really from just kind of chronic overuse, whereas I'm just tired of playing with the pain.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It could happen. Anything can happen.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm not in school this year. Not in the classroom actually. I was tired. I didn't want to be a college student anymore. Eventually, I would like to finish, but not this year.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I'm supposed to play an exhibition and I should recover for that just to be able to at least put on a good show.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I have one in Dublin and maybe in Copenhagen.

VENUS WILLIAMS: December 2nd and 3rd. I don't remember exactly. I should find out.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I would like to. You know, if I sit down and rest and relax and get a few days' practice, I think I'll be okay.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, that's what makes it exciting.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, because that's one of my strengths, is my movement and I threaten people by getting to every ball, so it is disappointing when I can't move and when I couldn't change directions, sure. Also, it's sometimes hard to make a decision to move on because you always look back and say, well, this could have been, but whether or not you're telling yourself the truth is another story.

VENUS WILLIAMS: To me it's important. I think I'll be fresh and motivated to play. And definitely take my breaks. It's the kind of person I am. I suppose every person needs a rest.