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Best isn't good enough; Serena Williams wants to be perfect

She won every Grand Slam she entered. She turned in one of the most dominating seasons in the history of women's tennis. She set a record for prize money earned in a year, banking nearly $4 million. And she didn't surrender a solitary set all season to the world's No. 2 player -- who just so happens to be her big sister. Now here's the really crushing news for the rest of the WTA's minions: Serena Williams wanted to perform better in 2002 and vows that she has yet to play her best tennis. SI's Jon Wertheim caught up with the self-critical world No. 1 as she was cooking dinner at home last week.

Jon Wertheim: If back in Melbourne in January, I had told you that you'd lose only four matches the rest of the year and win the next three Grand Slams, would you have believed it?

Serena Williams: I'd say, "Yeah! I'll take it!" Seriously, I'd have said, "That's going to be tough, but I don't think anything is impossible."

Wertheim: It doesn't seem like you were ever particularly surprised with your results this year.

Williams: No. To be honest, I wanted to do better.

Wertheim: Better than 56-5?

Williams: Yeah. Fifty-six and zero.

Wertheim: What happened this year that didn't happen in 2000 and 2001?

Williams: It was just focus. I didn't have as many distractions in my life and I made a very big commitment to go all out. I did my best, but I know that I haven't played my best yet.

Wertheim: Is it just a matter of time? How far are you from your best?

Williams: I think it's close, pretty close. There are just a lot of things I can improve on. A lot of girls are really going to try and really beat me, so we'll see if I step up.

Wertheim: What are you looking to improve?

Williams: Not anything specific, so much. It's more cutting back on errors. You can never have too few errors; that's how I look at it.

Wertheim: In Los Angeles you said a bounty was on you.

Williams: [Laughing.] Yeah, I'm worth a lot. If you beat me, that's worth a lot of recognition and a lot of bonus points.

Wertheim: Looking back on the year, does one moment in particular stand out?

Williams: I guess I'd say winning Wimbledon. Any time you reach your goal it's always cool. The tradition, you always dream of winning Wimbledon ... it was great.

Wertheim: Plus, you already had the U.S. Open --

Williams: Come on, that was so long ago even I don't remember it.

Wertheim: How was it different having your mom with you more often and, it seemed, playing a bigger role?

Williams: Not different. She traveled with me a lot last year. Both my mom and dad have always been my coach. I would talk to her before a match and check with her, see what I need to do, but I would call my dad, too, and see if he had any suggestions.

Wertheim: Going back to your saying you were more focused ... be more specific: Are we talking more focus during matches, more focus when it's 4-all in the third or more focus generally?

Williams: Oh, overall. Working harder, being more dedicated to tennis and not other things.

Wertheim: Looking at next year, you recently said your goal was not to lose, to go undefeated. People laughed, but I'm not sure you were kidding.

Williams: Yeah. That's my goal. I obviously set my goals high. In the immediate future, I want to win Australia, go down there and change history.

Wertheim: Are you and Venus going to play more doubles next year?

Williams: It's tough. I tell you, I want to. But it's hard, because you have to play singles -- and we always win -- and then you have to put the doubles in. The scheduling is ...

Wertheim: Plus, they're not putting you on Court 17. They obviously want you guys on the show courts as often as possible.

Williams: Yeah. It's hard. Hopefully, we'll play [doubles] more. We'll probably play Wimbledon because they don't necessarily put you on the best courts. We were on Court 3, but it was fine with me.

Wertheim: The courts, the travel, the phone interviews. Are you still having fun with all this?

Williams: Of course. When the time comes that you stop having fun, it's time to retire. Like I said, I haven't even begun to play at my best.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim covers tennis for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send a question to his Tennis Mailbag.

 

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