TENNIS WIMBLEDON 2014 – 23rd of June. V. Williams d. M. Torro-Flor 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. An interview with Venus Williams
Q. You lost the second set on sort of a fluke let cord thing. I know you’re trying to save energy and not play three sets. How do you come back from that kind of frustration?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, yeah, I mean, she just kind of got the return back. Goes to show if you get it in play, anything can happen. Unfortunately it clipped the net.
But stayed focused in the third set because you got to play it. So that’s all I did.
Q. Does it give you confidence to have gotten through quite a tough first set, especially on grass, a surface that you love?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Of course, obviously it feels good to win. I mean, it feels good to, you know, play well against an opponent who is playing well and advance to the next round. That always helps. First match on a new surface.
Q. You looked like your strength is fine, like you’ve gotten it back. You did an interview with a magazine about the syndrome you had, how difficult it was, how tired you’d get. How do you fight back from that and how was it even diagnosed? I researched it and it’s a strange kind of thing.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, you just get diagnosed when you have symptoms, so that’s pretty much it.
Q. Did it take them a long time for them to figure it out?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it took a long time. Unfortunately it’s not something you had; it’s something you have. So on a daily basis I’m trying to get the best out of myself. That’s all I can ask, is to get the best out of me. I never compare myself to anybody else.
Q. You’re treating it in such a way you feel like your strength is back?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I’m doing the absolute best I can. So, yeah, every day.
Q. Is it still the same coming back every year? Is it different now?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It’s just absolute focus in this tournament and in all tournaments. Obviously I’ve done well on this surface. The surface is quite different than before. Now it’s more about rallies. The courts are very slow. The ball stays up. So it’s very different.
I definitely come in with a different mentality than before.
Q. You’ve spoken in terms of your work as being in the tradition of Billie Jean in terms of equal opportunity, equal pay. When you heard that this Scottish guy, Andy Murray, hired Amélie to be his coach, what were your thoughts?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don’t know. I’m not as up on ladies tennis as some of you are in here. I didn’t know they were working together. I’m sorry.
I know they are now. It’s great. A coach is a coach; it doesn’t matter what gender it is. That’s my opinion.
Q. Just wondering what the Body issue shoot was like? Sounds like in the article that was attached that you were surprised that it was going to be like that.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was. I was (smiling).
Q. Was it fun?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I just kept cracking jokes and that definitely made it fun. It was interesting, though.
I think I’m in better shape now. Hope we can do a reshoot (smiling).
Q. Over the years you and Serena and other women who have had great records here have been put on the outer courts a lot. Tomorrow’s schedule came out and there’s two women’s matches on Centre Court and Court No. 1.
VENUS WILLIAMS: For Wimbledon, I think they always listen to the players. The women have, you know, the tour has voiced our opinion on equal coverage on the courts. I don’t think we want more or less.
It’s so wonderful that Wimbledon listens to not only the women’s players but the men’s players and all the players.
It’s just wonderful to have that dialogue back and forth.
Q. You were involved in the prize money discussions here. Was the court placement also something that you were involved with or the WTA council, to your knowledge?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I’m on the council so I’m always involved in many things that is involved in the majors, all the tournaments. That’s pretty much it.
Q. How frustrating is it that the courts are so much slower here than they were when you first played here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it’s definitely different. I mean, the ball sits up a lot. I don’t know. I think what I enjoyed about all the surfaces is that they are different and that’s what makes it challenging.
If you want to be a great grass court player, you have to adjust. If you want to be a great clay court player, you have to adjust. The hard courts, all of them are a little bit different.
I do miss having that nuance of here is the challenge, you have to be a diverse player. Unfortunately I think the courts are becoming so similar that it’s not encouraging players to play different.
Q. So many years at this place, so many moments. If you could choose one favorite moment from when you were young or more recently, which one would you choose?
VENUS WILLIAMS: More recently, definitely the Olympics here was the best moment.
Q. What was that like?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It was awesome. That was my whole thing in life at the time, was to be at the Olympics. It just meant a lot for me personally. Of course, to do it with Serena, it’s much more special than to win one alone.
That’s probably the best moment in my career, I would say.
