Care to make it a hat trick? At 22, Venus Williams is hoping to complete a trifecta of Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles victories (the last female player to do so was Stefi Graf 1991-93). Venus and her sister Serena, 20, will face a field of 127, eventually coming down to one deciding match with a $700,000 prize on the line for winning the Ladies’ Singles. Here’s how she feels about the tournament.

AW: How sweet would it be to win three Ladies’ Singles Wimbledon Championships in a row?
VW: To win three championships in a row would be a dream come true, a hat trick! Really, I feel that it has been great winning the last two and those are forever mine. To add another Wimbledon to my collection would be unbelievable.

AW: Is there less pressure going into this year’s Wimbledon since you’ve won before?
VW: I never really feel pressure going into any event. I suppose that’s somewhat rare for competitors to feel this way. I am so happy to have won two years in a row, and even if I do not win this year I can look back on my last two wins with good memories.

AW: Any specific ways you are training in anticipation for this event?
VW: Normally I hit on the hard courts in Florida two weeks before the event starts. In the past few years I have lost early at the French Open, so this has given me more time to prepare for Wimbledon. Usually I try to arrive early to Wimbledon because the grass courts there are like no others.

AW: Is it easy to block out the spectators who seem to be virtually on top of you during the entire championship?
VW: Sometimes when I am playing I don’t even really hear the crowd. Actually, I know I am in a real zone when I don’t even know the score of the match anymore.

AW: You’re having an incredible year so far. To What do you owe your success?
VW: This year has been great so far for sure, especially with reaching No. 1. I think that I was able to practice harder in the off-season, so that has contributed to my success this year.

— JAMES E. MAYFIELD