The surname Williams is one that will be remembered for years to come, as one that has dominated the trophies in the world of tennis. Currently we hear more from younger sister Serena, but Venus Williams has been equally stellar in the sport, moreover, she has been credited for having substantially changed the face of the woman’s game, by bringing an additional brand of power, athleticism and speed to it. The American’s game might seem to have faded today, understandable as she is thirty-five already, but by looking back on the grandeur of her achievements, we realise how symbolic her figure has been for woman’s tennis in the twenty first century.
Venus’s career earnings are over 32 million USD’s. From her earnings, investments and sponsorships she has amassed a self-worth of over 75 million USD’s. Williams embraced the professional game twenty-two years ago in 1994 and quickly became an impactful figure of the tennis world. New York Times contributor Robin Finn called her “the most unorthodox tennis prodigy her sport has ever seen.” Three years later, the six-foot-two-inch athlete was an international celebrity. After firing a warning shot at the 1997 U.S. Open where she was runner up to Martina Hingis, she proclaimed herself French Open doubles champion two years later by partnering with her sister Serena. From there the trophies just kept coming.
Her first singles title would be on her favourite grass surface, on which she clinched Wimbledon at the crack of the century. Following that she would get another chance at the tournament in the Big Apple, where she defeated Lindsay Davenport like she had done at the all England Club a few weeks prior. The epic All-American battles would not stop there, as time and again, she would end up facing her sister Serena in finals, a feat that has occurred eight times to date.
Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in singles and three in women’s doubles. She and her sister Serena have won more Olympic gold medals than any other female tennis players. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games, after Helen Wills Moody in 1924.
Williams is equally symbolic in the tennis world for being the first African American to be crowned world number one, a feat that she achieved in 2002. Her dominance since then was contrasted by a strong competition with Serena, to whom she came runner up in five consecutive Grand Slam finals between then and 2003. This in turn would prevent her from clinching the Career Grand Slam feat, which to date she is yet to complete. Despite this, Williams remains a legend of modern tennis, amassing a total of seven singles Grand Slam titles and thirteen doubles Grand Slam titles.
Williams’ game is powerful. An energetic baseliner, her game consists of dominating from the back, with tremendous force on her serve and her forehand drive. Her mobility is something that has been remarked upon, granting her fantastic court coverage and the ability to reach shots cut out at the net. The mobility would be in vain however, if not accompanied by stamina. Williams combines both and is well known for her had work. Williams had an exceptional advantage when reaching high balls, setting up volleys and defending lob shots, as her 180 centimetres in height combined with her jump give her great vertical mobility.
Williams, like Sharapova’s Sugarpova and other top class athletes, has her own personal brand which goes by the name of EleVen. Mostly selling sportswear, it was launched in 2012. The brand, according to Williams, is called EleVen because “it’s one better than ten”, which in turn is also a word play with her name Venus.
Currently ranked at world number seven with thirty-five years of age, Williams is going as strong as true champions do and we can be sure that she is far from done in the world of women’s tennis, the one she revolutionized almost 20 years ago.