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U.S. OPEN

September 1, 2011

Serena Williams

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

S. WILLIAMS/M. Krajicek
6-0, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're inspiring to watch. You definitely brought your A Game on today. You handled the wind with aplomb. What will you do to keep the Serena Express moving? Because it's moving.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Is it?

Q. Yes, it is.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Honestly I just hope to keep my errors down and keep making my shots, and hopefully I will be able to win five more matches. If not, I'm still happy to be here.

Q. You would have had every reason in the world to be distracted today given what happened with Venus yesterday. How difficult was it for you to just come out here and take care of your business with what she's going through?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It really wasn't that difficult, to be honest. I mean, she wants me to do the best; she wouldn't want me to suffer. So now, if anything, it should motivate me more.

Q. The syndrome has a genetic component to it. How aware are you of that? And is this now something you're going to be monitoring yourself?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I just heard a little bit of, you know, that in it was genetic, yeah.
So right now I feel fine. I feel good. I don't have the same symptoms she's had in the past. Hopefully it will be different.

Q. What's your sense of what she's had to endure so far? What's your sense of what lies ahead for her?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I know she's a fighter and she's really strong. She's great. I think she's really happy now that she knows what it is after all this time.
I think, if anything, it's gonna help her now to treat it and go forward.

Q. Is it harder for you to deal with Venus being sick than when you aren't healthy in any way? Which is harder emotionally to have happen?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think both are definitely, you know, tough. I mean, when you're sick you're going through it and you're thinking, Gosh, this really, really is annoying. Then so when it's so close to you like Venus is going through it, it's like, Man, I'd rather it be me so she can be healthy.
At least that's how I think. But, you know, so each has its different emotions, and all I can do is just, to me really, is just pray.

Q. You and your family probably have gone through more drama than any family in sports history, going back to the difficult crowds, loss of life, surgeries, on and on. Various situations. Could you reflect on that and what that says inside you or how you dealt with that inside you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, I don't think it's any different than any other normal family. I visit kids in hospitals that have cancer, and I just, you know, am so amazed at how the families are there and how blessed I am. Okay, I had a blood clot or had surgery. Thank God I don't have this other disease. It can be -- things can always be so much worse.
You know, a bad call here or there really is not the end of the world. It just makes you realize how important, you know, life is and how precious life is and how, you know, it's really a gift that we should cherish.

Q. So you were sometimes dismissive of some of the questions when we asked about what the meaning of that really incredible incident here was. I know it was a couple years ago, but can you talk about what you learned from this really incredible incident here?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, I can't. I'm so over it. You should be, too.

Q. Well, it's not about me.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, then you can talk about it maybe with some of the journalists. Gosh, that was like so long ago. I've died basically and come back and nobody's really writing or thinking about that.

Q. I didn't hear the post-match interview on TV. I could see it. You seemed to be laughing a lot. What was the subject and why were you in such a good mood, besides winning 6-Love 6-1?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, she had asked me about foot speed and can I give tips on foot speed. Honestly, I can't. I think, you know, either you're fast or you're not.
So I was thinking, well, one way to get faster is you can pretend there's like a check for a million dollars there tax-free, and just go run it down.
I think that's what we were laughing at.

Q. Is the level of tennis you're playing now, does it surprise you that -- say, six months ago could you have imagined being out here in a second-round match and making it look pretty easy?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Like I said, I've been really struggling with a lot of things, and tennis was the last thing on my mind. I was focused with just making it to the next day and, you know, it was like -- it's just a blessing really for me to be here.
I'm just really excited and focused on that. And, you know, when you come so close to experiencing, you know, lots of things, like I said, you just really focus on life and how precious that is. I feel really honored to be out here every match. Whether I win or I lose, it's a bonus for me and it's always another chance.

Q. Wozniacki tweeted yesterday that you were giving her relationship advice. Just curious what advice that might have been.
SERENA WILLIAMS: It was bad advice. (Laughter.)
I hope she didn't listen.

Q. What was it? What was it?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, I don't remember. I said -- well, I told her never look through the guy's phone. That is the worst thing you can do. I told her most relationships end. (Laughter.)
It wasn't very good advice.

Q. How much better can you play? Do you feel like there's a lot of room for improvement over, for example, what you showed today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I hope so. I feel like once I get to a point where I can't do any better, then that's when it becomes a problem. So, I mean, I hope I can -- I never want to be satisfied and think I can't improve. I mean, you know, so hopefully I can get a lot better.

Q. Can you give us an update on your sister, what she's doing now since she's withdrawn?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, actually I haven't spoken to her today. We talked yesterday. She was doing some things, but I got up early, and, you know, I kind of was going about my day.
But I was gonna call her and go visit her as soon as I got back. She's still in New York. She said she was gonna hang out for a little bit, so we'll see.

Q. I'm liking the nail polish that you have on. How is that going for you? What's coming up on your fall preview on HSN?
SERENA WILLIAMS: The nails are going great. OPI has been a great partner to be with. HSN, it's fun. I'm just moving on with that and just continuing design. That's really hard, because I'm actually taking over the designs. So I have this big book in my hotel that's been sitting there that I have not looked through with a trend report.
I have to look through it. Maybe I'll get to that today.

Q. Krajicek played the first Grand Slam main draw since 2007. What do you think that she's kind of coming back now?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I told her after the match welcome back. I know she's been going through a really tough time, and not to be discouraged. I didn't tell her that, but I hope she doesn't get discouraged because she's played well.
I think she qualified here and won a round, and she never gave up today no matter what the score looked like. I thought it was a really tough match. It was good for her and, you know, she's still young. Her whole life is ahead of her.

Q. It hasn't been determined who you'll face next, but if it is Azarenka, obviously because of your relatively low seeding, that's a quite a big match for a third-round encounter. Can you describe what is so special about her game and what sort of challenge that is for you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, well, you know, she's doing everything good. She moves her feet I think better than anyone on tour, to be honest. She's always moving, and that's really enabled her to get ranked high where she is and have such a great year.
You know, it's good for her, because she's had a whole year to prepare and she's been doing really great. I kinda feel I'm definitely going in as the underdog because she's won more tournaments and she's been doing a lot. I feel like I have nothing to lose in this match if I have to play her.

Q. Given the health challenges that you have had this past six months and the other interests you have, can you explain what exactly it is that you get out of competing? What is the essential lure that draws you back to tennis at this point?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, well, definitely hate sitting at home, you know, and like not doing anything.
That really gets uncomfortable. It's like I'm sitting there and watching tennis and I'm like, Hmm maybe I can beat them, maybe I can do that. So that kind of helped me.
I hate losing. I'm like the worst loser in the world. Oh, I'm still working on that. But, you know, and that kinda keeps me motivated and keeps me going...

Q. What do you think about the young American girls that played well yesterday? Christina McHale and Irina Falconi, who got moved to Ashe when Venus went out. What do you think of their performances yesterday?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I didn't really know. I know Christina has been playing really well, but I didn't see the match.

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