TMS - INDIAN WELLS, WOMEN

March 17, 2001

Serena Williams

MODERATOR: Questions for Serena.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I haven't, no.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I really am not quite sure. I just was out there, walking out with a bad reception from the crowd.

SERENA WILLIAMS: At first, obviously, I wasn't happy. I won here before. You know, I do well here. It wasn't the happiest moment for me. But everyone just do their own thing, I guess.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, obviously, because I've done well here. I was a champion just a year ago or two years ago. But eventually you get over it and you just start playing.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think so. I don't think I was mentally ready for that. I don't think I was mentally ready for that at all.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I don't know. I just kept missing, hitting harder and harder. Things just weren't going right for me today. To be honest, what I did literally I went over on the changeover and I prayed to God just to help me be strong, not even to win, but to be strong, not listen to the crowd. Every time I missed a serve or anything, it was a little out of the ordinary (smiling). I just wanted some strength to go on.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was in the second set.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, in the beginning I was a little shocked, but it never really annoyed me. It eventually got old. I was like, "Wow, this is getting old. Move on to something new."

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, actually I'm not. I was not. I'm not aware of anything now. If you could spare me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I definitely do. I'm just a competitor. I mean, how many people do you know go out there and jeer a 19-year-old? Come on, I'm just a kid.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's very important because they've always been in my corner from day one. I think family is most important. To have them there next to me, in the crowd supporting me when I wasn't doing well, not just in this match, but in general, it's a real plus. Not everyone has that. I'm very fortunate to have that support from my mom, my dad and my sisters and everything. I'm very happy.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, I think maybe it was. I was, you know, just -- I was like, "Wow, this is weird. This is not -- this is weird."

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, usually I don't get involved in these controversies. Well, the National Enquirer, come on, it's the National Enquirer. I mean, God (laughter). Next thing you know I'm going to be pregnant by some Martian. Someone told me, "You know you're famous when you make the Enquirer." I think I'm famous. It's all, really -- it's just not true. It's really kind of hurtful because it's just lies, just scandalous lies.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Somebody do that with your own blood, something is dreadfully wrong.

SERENA WILLIAMS: This isn't the most exciting championship I've won. I think I've won a big battle today mentally. I definitely won a battle mentally today more than anything. I think a champion can come through. I kept saying to myself, "You know, you're a champion, Serena. You can come through."

SERENA WILLIAMS: If I ever be in this situation again, I know for a fact that I'll be able to play better next time, and the next time better and better, till eventually it will be just like I have earplugs on.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't understand.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't read the press. I heard about the Enquirer. I don't read it. I never read the Enquirer. I hope you guys don't either. I just say -- I'm just an innocent person. I play tennis. I play for the crowd. I play for myself. I play to win. I play to be a champion. I play to be the best. That's all I can do. I don't want to get involved in anything else. Maybe a few extra contracts, a few extra deals, that's not bad. Other than that, I'm just a tennis player.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, you know, it was definitely better quiet than all the noise. That wasn't that bad at all. As for feeding my momentum, no, I just started thinking, "I have to raise the level of my game." A top player, they can always raise the level of their game when they're not playing good, so that's what I kept focusing on.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know why people are making accusations if they don't know the truth. I mean, if my dad were to do that anyway, why would Venus be up 4-1? Wouldn't it be more even? It just doesn't make sense. Besides, I was really trying to make the singles competition at the Olympics, so I was really disappointed about that. I didn't make the singles when I lost. That was heartbreaking for me because I really wanted to play singles at the Olympics. I'm a singles player, I'm not really a doubles specialist. I was happy to win the gold medal in doubles, but I wanted to play singles.

SERENA WILLIAMS: My dad said, "Congratulations, good job, way to hang in there mentally." Venus told me, "Good job." Basically the same thing.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think maybe they feel we're apart. I don't know. I talked to a lot of older players who are either away from the tour now or on the tour. They said when other players were like the No. 1, they were always in a world of their own, never communicated with anybody else.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I guess. I communicate with other players. I smile. I'm cordial, friendly. I don't know. I'm just trying to be me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm really outgoing.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm definitely outgoing, I'm an extrovert. I like to have a little idle chat every now and then.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I have a championship to defend next year. You'll probably see me here.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't know what their response is. Like I said, I'm just here to play tennis. I'm here to be the best I can be. The matches aren't rigged. I can't really respond to that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: In the beginning, I have to say it was a little tough. But eventually I just started to think, "Just stay focused." Actually, I played a match in Paris, in the final of this one tournament. The whole crowd was against me. It was because I was playing a French girl. It was a little different. But they were so loud that I could actually, you go to a concert, you can hear the bass in your chest. That's how loud it was there. I think this might be a little worse. I was able to come through and win that match. I thought about that. "Serena, you're a strong girl. You can come through."

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think anyone would prefer to be loved by the crowd. I have my fans out there. I'm really happy that I do have a lot of fans out there. At least wherever I go, people want my autograph. I don't know if they're my fans or not. I don't know.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I mean, I really don't know. Who knows. You'll have to ask some people that were mostly involved.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Race? I think, you know, black people have been out of slavery now for just over a hundred years, and people are still kind of struggling a little bit. It hasn't been that long. I don't know if race has anything to do with this particular situation. But in general I think, yeah, there's still a little problem with racism in America.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, she said, "Good job, congratulations." She asked me was I going to the Ericsson tomorrow. I mean, she's a very nice girl. I talk to her. She's a very nice young kid. She's very smart.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, she's a great player. She has a lot of strength. She's playing more smart. I played her before. She was playing really smart then also, but now it's gotten even to another level. I want to go home and practice for Kim.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Chaotic (smiling).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I don't know. Like I said, the only time I ever hear about it is when I'm in the media room and you guys say something about it. Like I said before, I'm just trying to be me. I'm just trying to play my game, play tennis. That's what I'm focusing on this year is to play tennis. I'm doing well. Hopefully next week at the Ericsson, I'll be in my home crowd, things will be a little different. But we'll see.