1799 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, United States
On December 13, 2007, Williams received an associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2325 Chester Blvd, Richmond, IN 47374, United States
In 2015 Venus received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Indiana University East.
Career
Gallery of Venus Williams
1997
Flushing, New York, United States
Venus Williams in action at the United States Open Tennis Championship in Flushing, New York, United States.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2015
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams of USA reacts after winning the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center on November 8, 2015 in Zhuhai, China.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2015
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams returns a shot during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2015
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus William reacts during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2015
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams returns a shot during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2015
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams of USA reacts during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2015
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams returns a shot during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2015
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams enters the court for the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2015
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams serves during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2018
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams walks out on court ahead of her match against Serena Williams during the United States Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2018
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2018
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2018
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2018
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2018
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2018
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
Costera De Las Palmas S/N Colonia Granjas Del Marqués Cp. 39890 Acapulco, Mexico
Venus Williams returns a ball during the singles match between Kaja Juvan of Slovenia and Venus Williams as part of the WTA Mexican Open 2020 Day 2 at Princess Mundo Imperial in Acapulco, Mexico.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
Costera De Las Palmas S/N Colonia Granjas Del Marqués Cp. 39890 Acapulco, Mexico
Venus Williams returns a ball during the singles match between Kaja Juvan of Slovenia and Venus Williams as part of the WTA Mexican Open 2020 Day 2 at Princess Mundo Imperial in Acapulco, Mexico.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
Costera De Las Palmas S/N Colonia Granjas Del Marqués Cp. 39890 Acapulco, Mexico
Venus Williams returns a ball during the singles match between Kaja Juvan of Slovenia and Venus Williams as part of the WTA Mexican Open 2020 Day 2 at Princess Mundo Imperial in Acapulco, Mexico.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams plays a backhand during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during Top Seed Open - Day 2 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams plays a forehand during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during Top Seed Open - Day 2 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams plays a forehand during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during Top Seed Open - Day 2 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams serves during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during Top Seed Open - Day 2 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Serena Williams and Venus Williams touch rackets after Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 during Top Seed Open - Day 4 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams plays a forehand during her match against Serena Williams during Top Seed Open - Day 4 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams serves during her match against Serena Williams during Top Seed Open - Day 4 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
Gallery of Venus Williams
2020
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams serves during her match against Serena Williams during Top Seed Open - Day 4 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
Achievements
Venus Williams
Membership
Awards
Olympic Gold Medal
2000
Sydney, Australia
Venus Williams reacts to her supporters after she was awarded the gold medal in Olympic women's singles tennis, in Sydney, Australia, after defeating Russia's Elena Dementieva, on September 27, 2000.
Venus Williams reacts to her supporters after she was awarded the gold medal in Olympic women's singles tennis, in Sydney, Australia, after defeating Russia's Elena Dementieva, on September 27, 2000.
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams of USA reacts after winning the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center on November 8, 2015 in Zhuhai, China.
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams returns a shot during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus William reacts during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams returns a shot during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams of USA reacts during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams returns a shot during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams enters the court for the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
Hengqin Ave, Hengqinzhen, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Venus Williams serves during the final match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic on day 7 of Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai at Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams walks out on court ahead of her match against Serena Williams during the United States Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368, United States
Venus Williams in action against Serena Williams in the Women's Singles round three match within the US Open 2018 tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, United States.
Costera De Las Palmas S/N Colonia Granjas Del Marqués Cp. 39890 Acapulco, Mexico
Venus Williams returns a ball during the singles match between Kaja Juvan of Slovenia and Venus Williams as part of the WTA Mexican Open 2020 Day 2 at Princess Mundo Imperial in Acapulco, Mexico.
Costera De Las Palmas S/N Colonia Granjas Del Marqués Cp. 39890 Acapulco, Mexico
Venus Williams returns a ball during the singles match between Kaja Juvan of Slovenia and Venus Williams as part of the WTA Mexican Open 2020 Day 2 at Princess Mundo Imperial in Acapulco, Mexico.
Costera De Las Palmas S/N Colonia Granjas Del Marqués Cp. 39890 Acapulco, Mexico
Venus Williams returns a ball during the singles match between Kaja Juvan of Slovenia and Venus Williams as part of the WTA Mexican Open 2020 Day 2 at Princess Mundo Imperial in Acapulco, Mexico.
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams plays a backhand during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during Top Seed Open - Day 2 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams plays a forehand during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during Top Seed Open - Day 2 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams plays a forehand during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during Top Seed Open - Day 2 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams serves during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during Top Seed Open - Day 2 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Serena Williams and Venus Williams touch rackets after Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 during Top Seed Open - Day 4 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
777 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356, United States
Venus Williams plays a forehand during her match against Serena Williams during Top Seed Open - Day 4 at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
Venus & Serena: Serving from the Hip, Ten Rules for Living, Loving, and Winning
(Venus and Serena Williams have something to say. But it i...)
Venus and Serena Williams have something to say. But it isn't all about tennis. It's about life and how to play it. These superstars and super sisters share their secrets in this straight-talking smart guide. This book offers solid advice for getting an advantage in every game one plays.
Come to Win: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession
(Multiple grand slam tennis champion and entrepreneur, Ven...)
Multiple grand slam tennis champion and entrepreneur, Venus Williams and 46 of her colleagues, friends, and mentors deliver a volume of invaluable wisdom, motivation, and inspiration. Come to Win demonstrates how the principles of competitive athletics translate into business success.
Venus Williams is the eldest of two professional American tennis-playing sisters. Venus and Serena shot to fame in the 1990s with a series of high-profile wins. In 1997 Venus became the first unseeded woman to reach the final of the US Open and the first African-American woman to do so since Althea Gibson in 1958.
Background
Venus Williams was born in the Watts area of Los Angeles on June 17, 1980. She is the fourth of Richard and Oracene Williams' five daughters. Richard Williams was part-owner of a security business and Venus' mother is a nurse. A few years after Venus was born, the family moved from Watts to nearby Compton. All five Williams daughters played tennis as youngsters, but the two youngest, Venus and Serena, were outstanding players from an early age.
Education
After moving from Watts to Compton, Venus and her sister Serena practiced the game at a court in a park. Venus Williams began entering competitions, went unbeaten in 63 games, and by the age of ten had won the Southern California girls' title in the under-12 division.
On December 13, 2007, Williams received an associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Eight years later, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Indiana University East. Venus also completed the degree through a reciprocal agreement between the university and the Women's Tennis Association which allows athletes to play tennis professionally while studying online.
In October 1994, at the age of 14, Venus made her professional debut at the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California. The unranked teen handily defeated Shaun Stafford, a player ranked number 59 in the world. She went on to play the world's second-ranked woman player, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, giving the Spaniard a good game before losing. In joining the pro tour before the end of 1994, Williams dodged a new rule of the Women's Tennis Council of the World Tennis Association that, beginning in 1995, would bar women under the age of 18 from the competition.
Because Venus entered into professional competition before the new rules took effect, she maintained a limited schedule at first, continuing her schooling at home. She next took to the courts professionally in August 1995, 10 months after her debut. On this outing she didn't fare nearly as well as she had in her debut, losing in the first round. Her loss prompted some tennis analysts to suggest that Venus's game lacked the competitive edge she might have developed had she continued to compete in junior tournaments. To rectify this and energize his daughter's game, Richard Williams sometimes cheered for her opponent in public matches.
Venus managed to stay out of the limelight for most of 1996 but in May 1997 made her debut at the French Open, winning her first match against Naoko Sawamatsu in three sets. However, she fell in the second round of the tournament to Natalie Tauziat of France. Equally uninspired was Venus's debut the following month at Wimbledon, where she lost in the first round to Poland's Magdalena Grzybowska. On the basis of her disappointing performances at the French Open and Wimbledon, most tennis observers expected little from Venus at the U.S. Open in 1997. Surprising everyone but herself, Williams advanced to the semi-finals, facing off against Irina Spirlea of Romania. In doing so, Venus became only the second female ever to reach the semi-finals in her first appearance at the U.S. Open. She defeated Spirlea 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, becoming the first unseeded woman and only the second African-American female player ever to reach the tournament's final (Althea Gibson was the first).
In the finals of the U.S. Open, Williams faced number one-rated Martina Hingis, who handily dispatched Venus, 6-0, 6-4. Despite the loss, she felt that she had proved herself a force to be reckoned with in tennis.
Early in 1998, Williams turned the tables on Hingis at the Australian Open, advancing to the quarter-finals of the singles tournament before losing to Lindsay Davenport. In mixed doubles competition, Venus teamed with Justin Gimelstob to win the title. It proved to be an upbeat start for a year in which Venus further demonstrated her promise on the court. At the IGA Tennis Classic, she won her first singles title by beating South Africa's Joannette Kruger 6-3, 6-2. In the wake of this victory, her ranking jumped to number 12. Venus took her second career singles title in an all-teen final at the Lipton Championships when she defeated Anna Kournikova. She beat Patty Schnyder 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to win the Grand Slam Cup and advanced to the semi-finals of the U.S. Open, where she was defeated by Lindsay Davenport.
In 1999 singles competition, Williams won titles at Oklahoma City, Miami, Hamburg, the Italian Open, New Haven, and Zurich. Teaming with younger sister Serena, she won doubles titles at both the French and U.S. Opens and also at Hannover, Germany. The following year, Venus and Serena teamed up to win the doubles title at Wimbledon and the gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. In 2000 singles competition, Venus won titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Sydney Olympics, Stanford, San Diego, and New Haven. In 2001, Venus successfully defended her Wimbledon and U.S. Open singles titles, while also winning titles at Miami, Hamburg, San Diego, and New Haven. She again teamed with Serena to win the doubles title at the 2001 Australian Open.
In 2002, it was Serena's turn to shine. Although she had to skip the singles competition at the Australian Open because of a sprained ankle, Serena won the other three Grand Slam tournaments - the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open - that year. Venus also did well, but all her wins came at second-tier tournaments, including the Gold Coast, Paris Indoors, Antwerp, Amelia Island, Stanford, San Diego, and New Haven. The sisters teamed up to win the doubles title at the 2002 Australian Open, a feat they duplicated again in January 2003, marking the sixth Grand Slam doubles win by the Williams sisters. In the Australian Open's singles final, Venus faced off against Serena, but once again Serena triumphed, taking the last four of the Grand Slam tournaments to complete what fans were calling the "Serena Slam."
Williams won two tournaments in 2004. Her furthest penetration into a Grand Slam event that year was the French Open, where she reached the quarterfinals.
In many ways, Williams seemed to have things other than tennis on her mind. In 2005, Williams and her sister Serena starred in a six-episode reality show on ABC Family. They also published a book, Serving from the Hip: 10 Rules for Living, Loving, and Winning, with Houghton Mifflin.
In the summer of 2005, Williams, who had slipped to the No. 16 spot in world rankings, perhaps because of the distractions of the book and television show, was knocked out of the French Open in the third round by 52nd-ranked Bulgarian player Sesil Karatantcheva. However, Williams fought hard and came back to win a third Wimbledon championship later in the summer. Later in the season, Williams defeated her sister, Serena, in the fourth round at the U.S. Open in New York; it evened their record in head-to-head matches at seven victories apiece. To top off a wonderful year, Williams was even featured in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated.
The year 2006 was a down year for Williams, who spent the first third of the year recovering from injuries before getting knocked out of every tournament she entered without reaching the finals. She began 2007 ranked 39th in the world, and promptly withdrew from the Australian Open because of a wrist injury. After some lackluster play in early tournaments, Williams came into the annual Wimbledon Championships ranked 31st. Williams started off slowly in a rain-interrupted tournament but built pace and confidence with every match. By the time she reached the final against Marion Bartoli on July 7, 2007, Williams was back at the top of her game. Delivering blistering serves - one was clocked at 124 miles per hour - Williams destroyed Bartoli 6-4, 6-1 to take the title.
With her 2007 Wimbledon victory Williams laid claim to her sixth Grand Slam singles title and her Olympic gold medal, not to mention six Grand Slam victories each in women's and mixed doubles. Williams's meteoric return to the top of the tennis world pointed to her uncanny ability to rise above the distractions of superstardom to play great tennis.
In 2008 the Williams sisters teamed up to capture the doubles title at Beijing Olympic Games.
In 2011 Venus Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that left her easily fatigued and sore. She switched to a vegan diet and altered her training schedule to allow for more recovery days, a method that proved successful when she and Serena claimed their 13th Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon in 2012. The sisters also went on to defeat Czech Republic tennis stars Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in the doubles final at the London Olympic Games. It gave them both a total of four Olympic gold medals. That fall, Williams won her first WTA singles title in more than two years.
Williams demonstrated she could still overwhelm opponents by reaching the finals of the Rogers Cup and the Coupe Banque Nationale in 2014. In early 2015, she claimed her 46th career singles title by defeating top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki at the ASB Classic. That summer, Venus advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon before losing to Serena on Centre Court. Williams then powered into the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, but again was unable to get past her sister in a tense three-set loss.
The following year at Wimbledon, Venus Williams became the oldest women's Grand Slam semifinalist since Martina Navratilova in 1994, before suffering a loss to Angelique Kerber. Later, she successfully teamed up with Serena to win the doubles title, their sixth together at Wimbledon.
In a shocking upset, Williams and Serena were bounced out of the first round of women's doubles at the Rio Olympics by Czech duo Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova. The top-seeded sisters had entered the match with a perfect 15-0 Olympic record as a duo. Having also lost in the first round of singles play, Williams sought to salvage her Olympic experience with a late entry into the mixed-doubles competition. However, her bid for a fifth overall Olympic gold medal fell short when she and partner Rajeev Ram were upset by Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock in the final.
Williams opened 2017 with a run to the Australian Open final. She then made another surprise surge to the Wimbledon final, where she was defeated by Garbiñe Muguruza, and advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Open. After falling just short of the prize at the WTA Finals, she finished the year ranked a lofty No. 5 in the world.
Williams was unable to carry that stellar form into 2018, however, as she was upset in the first round of both the Australian and French Opens. That summer, she lost to Serena in the third round of the U.S. Open, the earliest matchup between the sisters at a major tournament since the 1998 Australian Open.
Williams continues to compete, although her ranking has dropped. At age 39, she was the oldest player to enter the 2019 Wimbledon field, and she subsequently lost her only match to the youngest, 15-year-old American Cori Gauff.
Venus was scheduled to start her 2020 season at the Brisbane International but withdrew before the tournament began. She also had to withdraw from the Adelaide International. At the Australian Open, Williams was beaten by Coco Gauff in the first round. At the Mexican Open, where she was the fifth seed, she was beaten by qualifier Kaja Juvan.
After a four-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams returned to competition by playing World TeamTennis. Williams first official tournament back is the 2020 Top Seed Open, where defeated Victoria Azarenka in the first round, then took on sister Serena for the 31st time in the second round, losing to her.
(Venus and Serena Williams have something to say. But it i...)
2005
Religion
Venus Williams is a practicing Jehovah's Witness and often thanks Jehovah God after winning matches.
Politics
Venus Williams once said: "It is good that minorities are coming to the fore, Barack Obama is an example." She was quick to point out she's "equally happy" for Hillary Clinton, though "it is tough for Afro-Americans in the United States."
Views
Venus and Serena Williams opened up a community center to support residents affected by gun violence. The Yetunde Price Resource Center, named after their sister, who was murdered by a gang member while riding through Compton with her boyfriend in 2003, serves as a support system and place where people can get the help they need. The center also recruits volunteers and plays a key role in bettering the community and surrounding areas.
Williams sisters have always been philanthropic and have shown individual support for various charities.
Quotations:
"Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do...But I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there."
"My first job is big sister and I take that very seriously."
"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That's what makes you a winner."
"I don't focus on what I'm up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest."
"Just believe in yourself. Even if you don't just pretend that you do and, at some point, you will."
"My ambition is to enjoy my life and to do exactly what I want to do. And I'll do that. I will be free."
Membership
Venus Williams is a member of the Women's Tennis Association Tour Players' Council.
Personality
Venus Williams wanted to be an astronaut when she was a kid. She also has her own clothing line called EleVen.
In 2020, Venus Williams' net worth is $95 million (USD).
Physical Characteristics:
In 2011, Williams was diagnosed with a Sjögren's syndrome. After the diagnosis, she adopted a vegan diet, as well as reducing her intake of calories and sugars.
Interests
art, dancing, Asian antiques, sewing, writing poetry, playing the guitar
Athletes
Boris Becker, Pete Sampras and Monica Seles
Connections
Williams dated golfer Hank Kuehne. From 2012 to 2015, Venus Williams dated the Cuban model Elio Pis. She also dated publishing heir Nicholas Hammond for two years until 2019.
Who Are Venus and Serena Williams?
Venus and Serena Williams are two of the most successful professional American tennis players of all time. Coached at an early age by their parents, the sisters have both gone on to become Grand Slam title winners. They have both achieved the World Number One ranking in both singles and doubles! Although completely professional and fiercely competitive, the sisters remain close. Who Are Venus and Serena Williams? follows the pair from their early days of training up through the ranks and to the Summer Olympic Games, where they have each won four gold medals - more than any other tennis players.
2003
Venus and Serena
An unprecedented look into the extremely private world of Venus and Serena Williams as the tennis megastars battle disabling injuries and illness that threaten to end their illustrious careers.
2012
Sisters and Champions: The True Story of Venus and Serena Williams
Everyone knows the names Venus & Serena Williams. They've become synonymous with championships, hard work, and with shaking up the tennis world. This inspirational true story, written by award-winning sports journalist, Howard Bryant, and brought to beautiful life by Coretta Scott Kind Award and Honor winner, Floyd Cooper, details the sisters' journey from a barely-there tennis court in Compton, to Olympic gold medals and becoming the #1 ranked women in the sport of tennis. Here is a worthy ode to Venus and Serena Williams, the incredible sister duo who will go down in history as two of the greatest athletes of all time.
2018
Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams
With vibrant mixed media art, nonfiction superstars Lesa Cline-Ransome and Coretta Scott King Honor winner James E. Ransome share the inspirational story of two tennis legends who were fierce competitors on the courts, but close sisters above all.