WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 25, 2020

Serena Williams

Press Conference

M. SAKKARI/S. Williams

5-7, 7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was going on in that third set? Seemed like at times your heart wasn't totally in it, but then you also kept saving all those match points, seven of them. Just talk us through that third set if you can.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know, to be honest. It's hard to play the way I have been playing and to stay positive. And to play nine hours in a week is too much. I don't usually play like that. It's all new for me.

Q. Also, the week before a Grand Slam, is that in your mind? You don't want to be killing yourself out there at this moment of the year?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not at all. I just -- not at all, actually.

Q. Just wondering how hard was it just the recovery from yesterday? It was a grueling, long hot day. So how tough was it to just bounce back and have to play today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was tough, but, I mean, I literally should have won that match. There was no excuse. So, I mean, yeah, it was hard, but I had so many opportunities to win, and I have to figure that one out, like how to start winning those matches again. There is really no excuses, to be honest.

Q. It seemed like you were cramping towards the end?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, yeah, I mean, I started cramping, but I mean, I shouldn't have been in that situation. I don't think that helps mentally when it's like you know the match is over and you have won the match, and now your legs were already tired and now they are even more tired, and now it's even more tired.

So it's like -- I literally put myself in this situation. I gave myself -- I put myself in a bad situation. You know, it's like dating a guy that you know sucks (laughter). That's literally what I keep doing out here. It's like I have got to get rid of this guy. It just makes no sense. It's frustrating.

Yes, I was obviously cramping, but that's no excuse. I can't sit here and make excuses.

Q. From now until US Open, what do you have to do now to kind of get...

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I've just got to start learning how to win big points. It was literally one point since January. One point I could have won so many more matches, literally. So if I could just focus on how to win that one point, that would be better.