WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2001

Serena Williams

MODERATOR: Ladies and Gentlemen, Serena Williams.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I was definitely playing out there. I think in the end I lost the match because Jennifer just picked up her game and played a bit better.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, for four days now I've just been struggling. When was the last match I played before? The Round of 16, I think I played, that was on a Friday, when I played Gagliardi. Was that on a Friday? Yes, no?

SERENA WILLIAMS: That's when I got this sickness. I haven't been able to really eat since. I haven't been right since. It was just, ugh, going on emotion.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I went to the doctor twice. It was gas , I don't know, gastromunical (phonetic) virus, viral infection. I think maybe I've had it for a while, and it's just come to its apex now maybe.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I've been taking a lot of Pepto-Bismol, Imodium AD, things like that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I did. I started not to play Maggie Maleeva. I went to the WTA and I was like, "I don't know if I can do it." So I was pretty happy that I did. I don't know how I got through. I was thinking about pulling out before that match.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I just have no energy. Just like usually I'm a strong person, you know, I'm very well-conditioned. It's just like I'm just totally going on emotion, not anything physical at all.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I guess maybe, yeah. But, you know, I think I -- I still think I could have won had I just toughed up for a couple more points.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, obviously I was feeling like I'm going in for the win, I'm just trying to take it, you know. But things didn't turn out that way.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think, you know, she definitely sucked it up and started playing some great tennis at that point, for sure. I definitely think she went out there and just went for broke, didn't have anything to lose. So she was like, "I'm going to go for it all."

SERENA WILLIAMS: I wasn't in pain. I was just -- yeah, I guess I was in pain. Yeah, for sure.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Nausea.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. It was bizarre. I've never had this. I've never even had this in practise. It's not like I had a chance to, you know, kind of deal with this before.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think we both made a ton of errors. I know I did - and she did. I think overall, it was a good match for the fans.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. I was really nauseated. I just had to get out of there. I don't know how I came back. I was thinking, "Oh, man." It was horrible.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. It's something that's supposed to help nausea, you know, just all that. It's like a Pepto-Bismol-type thing. It's really, really bad tasting.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I just knew when I had to come out here, I should just go for it because I -- my energy level without food for four days is not going to be, you know, the best. So I just went out there. I knew that I had to either do that or...

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I mean, right now I have the chills, I don't feel well, I have a horrible headache. I'm not alive right now, so...

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I have, I have. I've lost about four pounds. But I have such a high metabolism, if I don't eat for three days, I'll lose like eight pounds. Fortunately I've only lost like four. It's a great diet (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, yesterday I was pretty happy because I had a little pasta. I had a little banana in my match today. I had a little pasta earlier today. Let's see. I think that's about it. I had a yogurt a couple days ago maybe. Then I just couldn't keep it down. It just kept coming up.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Like I said, I don't know. I was going to pull out against the Maleeva match. My trainer Carey (phonetic) was like, "If you can just get through this day." "Okay, okay." I wrote on my notes, "We'll hit a bunch of aces, a bunch of winners, see what happens." Fortunately enough, I don't know how I was able to come through that match so quick and easy like that. I was really shocked and surprised. I was really happy that I actually stuck in there and played her.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, what is it, 1-4 now?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think there's about three matches against her that I actually should have won. I know there's one match that maybe I shouldn't have won. I really wasn't mentally there a couple years ago. The last three matches, I really think I really had a chance to win . Maybe not at the Ericsson - I was really, really hurt. I couldn't even run. As a matter of fact, I had to pull out of the rest of the clay court season after that. So maybe not that one. But I think the last two matches I think I had my chance, but she actually picked up the level of her game. Like I said, she won just because she picked up her level.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't have any problems. I just think my problem I'm a hypochondriac, that's it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's a great match-up. Henin is playing great. I don't know. It should be a good match, for sure.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Seems like every time I get up, I'm only to be put down. I don't know. Maybe I should go see like a doctor and just get -- like I said, I might be a hypochondriac, no kidding.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think, yeah, obviously. If I could have been able to put some of those points away instead of making an error, doing things like that, I think that definitely would have helped. But some points she really just hit winners, she hit a good serve. She really played her game. She really went all out. She just went for it. Couldn't blame her.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, after the first set, believe it or not, I was just like,"Ugh."

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, of course. Really, really surprising. Really disappointing. Extremely upsetting. But, you know, I'm only 19. People out there, I still have a lot of time on my hands.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I honestly think I have bad luck. I went home after the French and I worked really hard only to have this setback. It was pretty disappointing (tearing up), as you can see.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Like I said, I definitely think I should have won. I think she really picked up her game in the end. I think she really went out there, and I was up 30-Love. She really started turning her hips, hitting deep balls, really going for it. She definitely deserved the win because she picked up the level of her game, and mine kind of stayed at the same level.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I'm usually able to close out my opponents, for sure. This is the first time I haven't closed out an opponent in a minute. But usually I'm able to close out my opponents.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Was I?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Did she?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Honestly, that was a year ago. If I'm still disappointed about that, then something's dreadfully wrong.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Someone that is always -- that is prone to get sick, prone to get hurt and injured, more prone than the next individual. That's me. That's Serena Williams. Under hypochondriac, they should put "Serena Williams."

SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely think so. She's playing great tennis. She's playing excellent. And Venus has a game and the mind and the physique, and she's really prepared because we both were working really hard after the French. So I know what we did. For sure.