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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 29, 2019

Serena Williams

Wimbledon, London, England

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When we last heard from you, you came off the court in Paris and felt you were far away from your best, thinking about getting more matches, taking a wild card. Clearly none of the above. What's been happening?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah (laughter). I was dealing with some bad injuries all year. I just haven't had enough match play, quite frankly.

I finally feel like I found some good results in Paris. I stayed there. I saw some good doctors. Yeah, I'm feeling better.

Q. Given what you said in Paris about the lack of matches, proper preparation to that point, can you tell us a little bit about the time you've spent practicing since then, and where you think you are in terms of preparation now? Have you had a chance to have better preparation? Where do you consider your ability to contend for the title, the way you often do here?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Obviously, I haven't had the best time and preparation that I normally would have. Hmm...

I've had a good week and a half, but I have been really just mentally training, physically training for that time here. I'm just going to do the best that I can now that I'm here.

I know how to play tennis (smiling).

Q. Can you give us an idea, limited practice you were talking about, how much have you actually sort of hours per day on court been able to do?
SERENA WILLIAMS: So I started -- my life is on tournament schedule. It's Roland Garros, then there's one after, then Eastbourne is two weeks. Is Eastbourne?

Q. The final is being played today.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Eastbourne is this week?

Q. Yes.
SERENA WILLIAMS: What was last week?

Q. Birmingham.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Birmingham. So I started in Birmingham for training. Yeah, I've had that time to train. I've had Birmingham and Eastbourne to train.

First day obviously is not super fast. I just did like 30 minutes on court. Each day my body, thank God, is really quick to learn. It learns really fast. Each day is a lot more.

By day four I was full in with a couple hours, not including gym sessions.

Is that more clear?

Q. Yes.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Okay (smiling).

Q. A bit of a fallout in your last press conference when Dominic Thiem was kicked out of the main press interview room in Paris for you to come in. Could you give us your side of events there? He came out and said he thought it spoke to someone having a bad personality for him to be moved out. Could you give us your side of the story?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I asked them to put me in the small room. I begged them to put me in the small room, and they didn't.

I said, Listen, I can come back. I'm just going to go back.

They're like, No, stay here.

They pulled him out. I was like, 'You guys are so rude to do that,' quote-unquote, that's what I said. The next day I had a bad personality. Literally that's what happened.

Actually stuck up for the guy, so... I don't understand how I got a bad personality for telling them what they did was wrong to him. But we spoke about it. I've always liked him. I still like him. He's a great, like, player. I mean, he's unbelievable.

I'm really, quite frankly, too old to be in controversy. That's why I just wanted to clear the air. I'm like, Dude, I told them that it wasn't right what they did.

He said he didn't say 'bad personality', that you guys mixed up his words.

It's all good. That's literally what happened.

Q. It sounded more, in a voice recording, that you said to the organizer, like, You are wrong rather than it is wrong to kick him out. Is it not true?
SERENA WILLIAMS: They should have never kicked the guy out. Like, it was not cool.

Q. A lot of interest around Venus' first-round match. What do you make of it as a first-round matchup? What do you expect of Cori Gauff as somebody coming up?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's interesting. Because Cori is such an exciting young player. She's so cool. She's a great girl. I love her dad. There's just really cool people.

It's a great moment for her and for Venus. It's going to be a big moment for Venus, as well. She's playing against a player that actually reminds me of Venus, the way kind of her body and everything.

So I know that they both want to win obviously and go to the next round. I think it will be really important for both of them. It will be a good match. I think I might, might watch. I always get nervous watching Venus, so...

Q. Talking of Venus, you played her countless times over the years. What would you say to Andy Murray, who is likely to play his brother for the first time in a Grand Slam in the doubles? What would your advice be to someone playing a sibling?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Don't look at 'em. Literally look at the ground, don't look at them at all.

Q. Just disconnect?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Disconnect. Disconnect.

Q. This weekend the Yankees and Red Sox are playing here. What would you want British sportsfans to most know about baseball?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't watch a lot of baseball (smiling). But it's exciting. I don't -- yeah.

Q. Any thoughts on the U.S. women's soccer team playing against the British women's soccer team coming up on Tuesday?
SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, it's so funny because obviously I'm rooting for U.S. I love the team. But when I was training in Paris, the British players were training exactly where I was every day. We were at breakfast. It was so fun to see how hard they worked, just how amazing they were.

I was looking at them in the gym. I'm like, Okay, I cannot do that. At one point I wanted to join in their ab exercise. Wonder if I could scoot to the side and do exactly what they're doing.

It's kind of cool being in that experience of watching the Brit women, then having obviously the team that I'm rooting for, USA, go against each other.

Q. There's a certain Scotsman that is looking for a mixed doubles partner. Are you available? How would you like to play with Andy Murray? Has he asked you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm available. I'm feeling better now, so I'm definitely available.

Q. There's been a bunch of No. 1's who have had the No. 1 ranking on the women's side since you were No. 1. Latest is Ash Barty.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Hmm.

Q. You didn't know?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No.

Q. What do you make of Ash being No. 1?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Wow, that's great. I think Ash -- I don't know anyone that has anything negative to say about her. She's like the sweetest, cutest girl on tour. She's so nice. She has the most beautiful game, such classic shots. I mean, she does everything right. Her technique is, like, flawless.

Obviously I'm happy for her. Yeah, it's good. It's good for her.

Q. Did you actually speak to the British team or were you admiring them from afar?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, we spoke. We were, like, workout buddies. I didn't really work out with them, but we worked out in the same vicinity. I like to say we worked out together.

Q. When you were younger, you didn't have the easiest time, obviously with Indian Wells. Looking at Gauff, she's 15, a young black girl coming up, people only talk about the tennis, there's nothing else. Does that make you, I guess, proud or whatever that things have changed in that way?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. Like I said, she's such a fantastic young lady. She works very hard. Every time I have work, I see her out there working, training, her and her dad. It reminds me of the time where I was out there with my dad. I can't help but look inside of myself and be proud and be happy for her.

Yeah, so it's really nice to see.

Q. Can I clarify your comment about mixed doubles. I don't know if you were tongue-in-cheek. Obviously you had a knee problem recently. You seriously are thinking about playing mixed doubles, are you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, we just have to wait and see. I like to be tongue-in-cheek (smiling).

Q. If Andy was to say to you, Do you think you fancy mixed doubles, would you consider it at least?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Let's see how my knee's going. I'm finally doing good. I don't want to, like, go back.

Q. Your draw, you have potentially Sharapova, Kerber, Barty. Do you think you can get the 24th slam here? You were in the final last year.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I can't go into Grand Slams thinking about records. I just have to go in a Grand Slam and think about just the first match. If I get that, I think about the next match. If I'm in the final, try to win one for once. That's kind of what I think about (smiling).

Q. On Ash Barty, how do you think she's going? Do you think she can cement that No. 1 place?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I think so. I think she has a great game. I think, like, she's really even-tempered. She's just really chill. I feel like she's just so relaxed in a way. She's had a solid year, as well. It's not just the French Open. I believe she won Miami. She's had a really good year.

Yeah, I think anything is possible.

Q. You've been here a long time. Have many people over the years got up the courage to ask you to play doubles or mixed doubles? If it happened, would Andy be one of the first?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I played here before back in the '90s. I don't know. Obviously I don't remember who asked who. I did win, so it's something I'd consider.

Thank you.

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