<p>Serena Williams says she can identify with anxiety regarding news conference scrutiny, and has experienced it frequently after matches.</p>
<p>“Many of them I’ve been into where I’ve been — very difficult to walk in in those moments,” she said. “But you know, it made me stronger.”</p>
<p>Williams made her comments in a post-match news conference following her first-round victory Monday at the French Open. She spoke hours after four-time Grand Slam champion <a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-french-open-tennis-entertainment-sports-7fe5d6be63ccd996653070a935852be2">Naomi Osaka withdrew </a> from the tournament, saying in a statement that she has dealt with long bouts of depression since winning a tumultuous final against Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open.</p>
<p>Last week Osaka said she would not participate in the standard post-match news conferences during Roland Garros, citing her decision as a mental health matter because media questions can create self-doubt.</p>
<p>“I feel for Naomi,” Williams said. “Not everyone is the same. I’m thick. Other people are thin. Everyone is different and everyone handles things differently. </p>
<p>"You just have to let her handle it the way she wants to and the best way she thinks she can. That’s the only thing I can say: I think she is doing the best she can.”</p>
<p>Few athletes have been under the media spotlight like Williams, 39, who is chasing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. When the glare becomes too intense, she said, it’s important to reach out for support. </p>
<p>“You really have to step forward and make an effort, just as in anything, and say, ‘I need help with A, B, C and D,’ and talk to someone. I think that’s so important to have a sounding board, whether it’s someone at the WTA, or someone in your life, or maybe it’s someone you talk to on a weekly basis.</p>
<p>“I’ve been in that position too, and I’ve definitely had opportunities to talk to people and just get things off my chest that I can’t necessarily talk about to anyone in my family or anyone I know.”</p>
<p>There were moments of anxiety for Williams even in a first-round victory that will be quickly forgotten. She took a spill on the clay and saved two set points before eliminating Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (6), 6-2 under the lights during the first scheduled night session in tournament history.</p>
<p>Williams struggled with her serve but played aggressively, such as when she raced forward facing a set point to hit a risky swinging volley for a winner.</p>
<p>“I did not want to lose that first set,” she said. </p>
<p>Williams improved to 77-1 in first-round Slam matches. The loss came in Paris in 2012.</p>
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