TMS - INDIAN WELLS

March 15, 2001

Serena Williams

JIM FUHSE: We'll keep this short because we'll have Venus right after.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I guess so. She didn't really practice today at all. I practiced twice. She didn't really hit at all. Yeah, I guess you were out there, you saw that she wasn't feeling so good, but I was just getting my practice on.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean pretty much. She was my opponent. Usually when we play each other, I'll hit with her, but then I'll go do my own thing. We have a trainer. Venus was in there. I was in the locker room getting ready, getting dressed, getting prepared for my match.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I didn't look at the clock or anything. I was going out to get some stretches. Like, you know, maybe five, ten minutes to 6:00 or something.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, the tour director told me. Venus never told me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Of course, I asked her if she was okay. Her eyes were a little watery. I just wanted to know if she was all right. She said, "Yeah." She's just been having some knee problems. In Nice I think she had both her knees taped.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Like I said, I went out to practice, and she didn't. You really have to ask her.

SERENA WILLIAMS: My dad's not even here. He doesn't really come to our matches when we play each other. He wasn't at our practice. Well, he walked us to the court, but then he left. That's usually how it is when we play each other.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I hit a bit with Venus before the match. She hit for maybe five minutes at the most. We have a hitting partner, so I hit with him mostly.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, she hardly hit. She didn't really hit. I just thought, you know, slice and dropshot.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, well, I don't think that's a difficult question. First I would like to say that it was -- I don't know, first you'll have to -- it's not my injury, so I can't really say much. As for that circulation, the family, we're competitors. We're here to compete. In the end, we're going to have to play each other eventually. We're always here to compete. We're competitors. That's what it all boils down to, who can compete the best. That's what I always like to do. I like to compete.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Can you refresh me on her statement?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Did she talk to my dad?

SERENA WILLIAMS: She must have because, like I said, we're competitors and we always go out to compete, and that's how it's always been. I think if my dad would decide, then maybe Venus wouldn't be up 4-1, maybe it would be 3-All by now. So I don't think so.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, to avoid playing each other so match. We'd rather play each other in the finals of a Grand Slam or the semifinals of a Grand Slam or the semifinals of a bigger tournament, or the finals.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Next time you get Dementieva, Hingis, Davenport, you should ask them. I can't really tell you why. I don't read their minds. I'm not a mind-reader. I can only tell you what I know. I've already answered that question.

SERENA WILLIAMS: People have the freedom of speech. They can say whatever they want. People do whatever they want. They say what they want. It's going to happen. I mean, obviously we're sisters, we're very close. People often speculate things like that. People are just always going to speculate things. In the end, it just boils down to who -- yeah, I don't know.

SERENA WILLIAMS: People speculate that Muhammad Ali was the best, and he was. In his prime, no one believed it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Would you like me to answer the question?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'll pass since I don't think you were very polite to me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Pardon me?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Like I say, we like to play the big tournaments. We always play the Ericsson together, except last year Venus had wrist problems. We always play the Ericsson, the Grand Slams, and we play Rome. Rome is a big tournament. We usually play that one. This year we decided we would play Indian Wells, too. We don't mind playing each other in the semifinals or finals. Better than playing each other in the fourth round.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I saw a little of her match. Actually, I saw most of her match.

SERENA WILLIAMS: She played -- she really came out there with a plan. She played very well. Looked like she was very determined. Even when she was up double match point, looked like she was able to keep focused. That was what I noticed.

SERENA WILLIAMS: To be honest, I'm just as shocked as you are right now. I can't really answer that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't really get angry. Like I said, people often say a lot. Everyone has an opinion really. I have an opinion about a lot of things that probably aren't true just because, you know, it's my opinion, and everyone has their opinion. Does it anger me?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not really. I don't read the press. I don't read the press. I stick to myself. I just look at the pictures, that's it. I collect pictures. That's it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I was interrupted. I don't remember, sorry.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Thank you.