US OPEN

August 29, 2022

Serena Williams

Press Conference

S. WILLIAMS/D. Kovinic

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In your 'Vogue' essay, you said how the thought of retirement - if I can use that word - causes you a great deal of pain. I wonder whether your feelings have changed over the last couple of weeks and whether a night like tonight makes it that much less painful for you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I prefer the word 'evolution' because I feel like I'm at a stage of my life where I'm not necessarily retiring, I'm just evolving from tennis.

And I do feel different. I think I was really emotional in Toronto and Cincinnati. It was very difficult. I'm not saying it's not difficult now. It's extremely difficult still because I absolutely love being out there.

The more tournaments I play, I feel like the more I can belong out there. That's a tough feeling to have, and to leave knowing the more you do it, the more you can shine.

But it's time for me, you know, to evolve to the next thing. I think it's important because there's so many other things that I want to do, et cetera.

Q. What questions might you have answered for yourself with your performance tonight as you now have a second-round match against a very tough player?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, for me, I don't know, I don't think I had any questions. I just knew I could be out there, and the atmosphere was a lot, so...

Q. Your thoughts on the next match.

SERENA WILLIAMS: At this point, honestly, everything is a bonus for me I feel. I mean, I think every opponent is very difficult. I've seen that over the summer. The next one is even more difficult.

It's good that I was able to get this under my belt. I don't know, I'm just not even thinking about that. I'm just thinking about just this moment. I think it's good for me just to live in the moment now.

Q. Will this definitively be your final tournament?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I've been pretty vague about it, right (smiling)? I'm going to stay vague because you never know.

Q. I wanted to ask, what memory will stick with you the most from tonight?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think when I walked out, the reception was really overwhelming. It was loud and I could feel it in my chest. It was a really good feeling.

It's a feeling I'll never forget, so I really -- yeah, that meant a lot to me.

Q. It seems you were really laser focused. What was going through your mind during the time you were walking out? It was a long, long introduction.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was just thinking, like, Is this for real? Really? At the same time I'm also thinking, I still have a match to play and I want to be able to play up to this reception almost.

It was so loud. I just was overwhelmed in a good way. Yeah, but at the same time it's like you have to be focused, you have to be laser focused. That's what I needed to do and that's what I tried to do.

Q. You've been talking about evolving. You have other things you want to do. Do you feel there's any way you'll evolve to take some kind of role in the game off the court or you're not sure about that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think so. I love the sport and I feel like the sport, it's given me so much. It's given me a platform that I never even thought I would have all because of tennis.

I don't see myself not a part of tennis. I don't know how I'm going to be a part of tennis as of right now. I just don't know how. But I just feel like we've come too far together to just not have anything to do with it.

Q. There have been so many tributes from Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, they talked about how they wouldn't be here in this sport without you. How does it feel to hear things like that, all the kind words that your peers and people around the world have had for you in the last few weeks?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Between Coco, Naomi, Taylor, everyone, it's just been...

You know, I don't think about it. Like what was said on the court, I don't think I've even taken a moment to realize any impact. I understand it, but I don't really meditate or think about it.

I'll have plenty of time soon to do all that. I just am so grateful that they see that. I can see it, too, but I don't overthink about it. I'm still here for the time being, just enjoying it.

I feel grateful that I can have that impact. I never thought I would have that impact, ever. I was just a girl trying to play tennis in a time where I could develop this impact and be a voice. It was just so authentic 'cause I do what I do, and I just do it authentically me. I think people could really relate to that.

Q. I know you have the opportunity to play with Venus while you're here. Could you share with us some of what she's meant for you in this process. Has she been somebody you've been speaking to about things?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I feel like it's been very important for her to be a part of this. She's my rock. I'm super excited to play with her and just do that again. It's been a long time.

Q. There were so many different kind of aspects about tonight. Whose idea was it to have Olympia have the beads in her hair? What did that represent for you having her there?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was either her wear beads or me, so... I wanted to do it, but I just didn't have the time (smiling).

Yeah, she likes actually wearing them. She asks to wear beads a lot. It actually wasn't my idea, but I was so happy when she had them on. It's perfect on her.

Yeah, tonight was all a surprise actually towards the end. I didn't know any of that was happening. I was just ready to do the on-court interview and leave. That wasn't what happened. It was a really big surprise.

Q. A lot of the people we've heard from in the last few weeks talking about you have said you're bigger than the sport, you've transcended the sport. Have you taken notice of those comments, if that's important to you and how that makes you feel?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It makes me feel great. I've kept my head super low throughout this whole process, ever since the news came out three weeks ago. I'm really good at putting myself in a bubble. That's kind of what I've been doing.

Sometimes I'll hear a snippet of this, a snippet of that. But for me, in order to get through it, 'cause it's not easy, but to just get through the emotions and everything that I'm feeling, I just had to just kind of just go in and just be sort of alone and just off all kinds of media, social media and stuff.

Yeah, I'm just trying to deal with that.

Thank you.