Serena Williams' Top 9 quotes from the weekend

Serena Williams was on top of her game last weekend. Sure, she dropped all of three games total in her semifinal and final in Charleston—and that measly trio of games was surrendered to Samantha Stosur and Lucie Safarova, hardly slouches. Still, Serena was also making a big racket (a funny, charming, inviting one, at that) in the press room.

Here, in no order at all, are Serena's nine best quotes from her whirlwind weekend at the Family Circle Cup in South Carolina:

1. Via Instagram: "I'm not sure if I want a tournament or pageant. #ToePointQueen"

2. About the WTA's "Original 9", who paved the way for female pros and better, even equal, prize money: “I want to thank, Billie [Jean King]. Without her, I don’t know if any of us would be here.”

3. When asked if she gets "up" for playing the top guns such as Stosur: "I don't think I necessarily get up for her. I think she's a great player. She has a Grand Slam under her belt and she beat me in the final and played unbelievable, but I think when you're playing someone like her, you have to play well or you're going to lose. Go big or go home. Life."

4. About the fact that she has reached just one French Open final (2002), which she won: "I think that should count for something. Not a lot of people can say they did that."

5. “I’m always ready to win the French Open and I never do. So hopefully this will be the 20th year in a row that I’m ready to win.”

6. On her love of the four Grand Slam events: “I’m always wearing dresses.”

7. About her actual affinity for clay-court tennis: “I don’t have to go crazy and move my feet so much.”

8. Via Steve Tignor: "Asked what the 'craziest thing anyone ever asked you for after a match' was, Serena asked back, 'Well, besides the obvious?' She laughed. 'Thank you. I think we’ll end on that.'”

9. And, last, not something that Serena said but rather the look she gave to the Home Shopping Network host when something was either said to her or about her or her garments, here.

Now for good measure, because the sisters are so often inseparable, here are a couple choice comments from Venus, who fell to Stosur in three hotly contested sets in Charleston:

''I've never been so happy to be ranked 70."
—upon learning of her jump from No. 87 to No. 71 after a strong showing in Charleston

"So I'm grateful to have this job."
—speaking to the plight and the triumph of the WTA's "Original 9," a group of female professional players spearheaded by Billie Jean King

With the Williams sisters' results in Miami and Charleston, in addition to 2011 French Open champ Francesca Schiavone's ouster in Barcelona's WTA event today, the clay courting that culminates with Roland Garros' grandeur is certainly intriguing.

—Jonathan Scott (Find me on Twitter @jonscott9)