TENNIS US OPEN 2014 – 27th of August 2014. V. Williams d. T. Bacinszky 6-1, 6-4. An interview with Venus Williams
Q. If you weren’t playing tennis, what would you be doing?
VENUS WILLIAMS: That’s impossible to say.
Q. Interior design, fashion, translator?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don’t know. I used to run track. So perhaps I would have excelled at that.
Q. What did you run?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I ran the 200 and the 400.
Q. What are your thoughts on advancing here after it hasn’t gone your way the last few years to get this far?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, the last couple years I fought really hard and I really played red-hot opponents. So it wasn’t like I didn’t try. My opponents, they played so well. Sometimes you don’t win ’em. That’s why you get up and you live to fight another day. So that’s really what it’s about for me.
Q. That’s about the then. What about the now?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, now I’m happy. I won a match again. Finally I did something I couldn’t do the last couple years. That’s good stuff.
Q. How well do you think you’re playing at the moment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I feel like I’m playing well. I feel like I play my best when my opponent pushes me really. Once we start to, you know, really start to get into a slugfest, I feel like I really relax. Sometimes I feel like when they aren’t pushing me as much maybe I’m a little too passive at times. I don’t know. But I do feel like, you know, when things get tight, I feel like I can rely on myself to compete really well. So that’s a good feeling.
Q. Are there more moments when you’re serving well and moving well where you feel like 10 years ago, 15 years ago, you could do anything?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, this summer I’m playing a lot of tournaments. I was playing a lot of great defense. Even today some good defense, as well. I played a lot of defensive players this summer. It was interesting because my defense was really on par with theirs, which is interesting for an offensive player. So that feels good, as well, to know that I can get over there and retrieve some balls.
Q. When you think about your next opponent, Sara Errani, what do you think about her and what could be the key for the match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really just focus because she’s so focused. She does everything well on the court clearly, because she’s a great singles player and a doubles player. Every time I’ve played her, I’ve had to be focused on every single point, because she does not let up on any point no matter what the score is. If she’s down 5-Love, 40-Love and never won a game in the match, she is in there still to win the match. That’s my main thing: to stay focused and play my game.
Q. Do you ever think when you are so tall, so powerful, how different it could be for the tennis player when you are very short with no power?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, there’s some players who are taller and shorter. You’re going to have different strengths and weaknesses because of that. For her, because she’s not as tall as some of the other players, she’s developed other parts of her game. Her foot speed, really an all-around game, her mental strength, all of those things which are equal advantages. What’s awesome about it is it makes tennis interesting. If everybody was big and tall it would be boring, but it’s a nice juxtaposition.
Q. If you were in charge of tennis, you could change any rule you’d like or add a new rule, what might you like to change about the rules of the game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I would be against the rule for anyone named Williams to lose. That’s very selfish (laughter). I haven’t really thought about that really. I think tennis is going in a nice direction. I would just love for young people to continue to be involved, because that’s the future of our sport. So, yeah, probably that.
Q. I understand you’re pursuing a degree in business administration at Indiana University. What has that experience been like for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I have no life, but it’s made me a better boss and it’s made me more aware of how I can make better business decisions. I’ve had to take classes, too, that I didn’t think I’d be interested in or that I was interested in that I didn’t like at all. I have to say accounting almost killed me. I’m telling you, it messed my vision up. Now I’m not an accountant but I’m okay.
Q. Why do you think women’s tennis is so unpredictable? Depends by the serve, which for men is so important, or because women are unpredictable?
VENUS WILLIAMS: In the men’s game they play a bit different. They’re always doing cross-court to cross-court. If they have a short ball, it’s down the line. It’s a little more clinical. With the women, you know, you never know what you’re going to get. Women are going down the line, cross-court all the time. When I play my opponents I have to be ready for every shot, because maybe it’s not going where you think it should go. It’s interesting and it’s different. But I think as women start to get even better – because the depth is so intense right now – as the depth gets even more, perhaps it will start to be like that. I think it’s interesting, too, because you can’t really say, Oh, yes, they’re going to be in this cross-court rally for a while. The ball is going everywhere, and that’s exciting.
