Serena Williams 'can't answer' if her Wimbledon loss is the last singles match of her career 6/28/22 Transcript

Serena Williams: (00:01) Yeah, it was really tough. I mean, I had some chances to win that first set and didn't work out. Yeah, it was just totally different for me. Joseph Rigal: (00:20) Hi, Serena. Joseph Rigal, Tennis Head. I'm sure you're disappointed to lose tonight, but given the way you went out last year with a freak injury, if this is the closing chapter on your Wimbledon career, can you be satisfied with that ending, a fight to the last? Serena Williams: (00:41) It was definitely a very long battle and fight. And it was definitely better than last year. That's a start. Speaker 3: (00:52) Okay. Serena, was there enough that you can draw from this match that makes you want to go on through the Summer? You've heard the crowd cheering for. You talked about a good memory. What do you want to do now? Serena Williams: (01:10) Yeah, I don't know. Obviously, we're in the Summer now and so, right in the swing of it. Like I said, coming into this, I'm just planning for right now and seeing how I feel and just to go from there. Speaker 4: (01:27) [inaudible 00:01:27] the BBC. Do you think it's more likely than not, and I can hear what you're saying already, but do you think it's more likely than not that you won't come back? Would that be your last singles match do you think? Serena Williams: (01:39) That's question I can't answer. I don't know. I feel like I don't know. Who knows, who knows where I'll pop up? Speaker 5: (01:49) Serena, what did you find most challenging physically. And what did you find most challenging mentally in your return after a year away? Serena Williams: (01:58) Yeah, I think physically I did pretty good. I think the last couple points I was really suffering there. But, yeah, I feel like, again, just those key points and just winning some of those points is always something mentally that you have to have, you need. And I did pretty good on, maybe, one or two of them, but obviously not enough. I just think, yeah. Speaker 5: (02:32) Do you attribute that mostly to being away so long? Serena Williams: (02:36) Yeah, absolutely. I think if you're playing week, in week out or even every three weeks or four weeks, then there's a little bit more match toughness. But with that being said, I felt like I played pretty okay on some of them, not all of them. Maybe some key ones I definitely could have played better. You got to think if I were playing matches, I wouldn't miss or lose some of those points or this match Bill Simons: (03:08) Serena, tough loss. Bill Simons Inside Tennis. Your shirt reads, 'be the game changer.' How do you think Serena Williams over the years has been the game changer? Serena Williams: (03:25) Yeah. You just don't be afraid to be different and don't be afraid to stand out. I think that's been me and I love changing the game. I think that's something that I never set out to do, and then somehow I did it. Somehow I'm Serena and that's pretty awesome. Speaker 7: (03:54) Serena, just to follow that question in general terms, how do you sum up the legacy that you've left at Wimbledon over the last 10, 20 years? Serena Williams: (04:03) Well, I'm not summing it up, but if I were to say, I think, I've been pretty solid on the grass. Maybe not today, but pretty solid out there. Speaker 8: (04:17) Hi, Serena. Well played tonight. Obviously, you don't know, we don't know if you will be back next year, I understand that. If that is your last memory of Wimbledon, you okay with that being your last memory? Serena Williams: (04:30) Obviously not. You know me, definitely not. But today I gave all I could do today. Maybe tomorrow I could have gave more, maybe a week ago I could have gave more, but today was what I could do. And at some point you have to be able to be okay with that, and that's all I can do. I can't change time or anything. That's all I could do on this particular day. Speaker 9: (04:59) Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube. For live streaming sports and premium content, subscribe to ESPN Plus.