Venus Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Venus Williams

Williams at the French Open in 2021
Full name	Venus Ebony Starr Williams
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, U.S.
Born	(1980-06-17) June 17, 1980 (age 45) Lynwood, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Turned pro	October 1994
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
College	Indiana University East (BSBA)
Coach	Hugo Armando (2023–present)
Prize money	US $42,648,578 2nd in all-time rankings
Singles
Career record	818–278 (74.64%) (74.6%)
Career titles	49
Highest ranking	No. 1 (February 25, 2002)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	F (2003, 2017)
French Open	F (2002)
Wimbledon	W (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008)
US Open	W (2000, 2001)
Other tournaments
Grand Slam Cup	W (1998)
Tour Finals	W (2008)
Olympic Games	W (2000)
Doubles
Career record	185–38 (82.96%) (83.0%)
Career titles	22
Highest ranking	No. 1 (June 7, 2010)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (2001, 2003, 2009, 2010)
French Open	W (1999, 2010)
Wimbledon	W (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016)
US Open	W (1999, 2009)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2009)
Olympic Games	W (2000, 2008, 2012)
Mixed doubles
Career record	28–8 (77.78%) (77.8%)
Career titles	2
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	W (1998)
French Open	W (1998)
Wimbledon	F (2006)
US Open	QF (1998)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	F (2016)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (1999), record 21–4
Hopman Cup	RR (2013)
Signature
Medal record Women's tennis Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney Singles Gold 2000 Sydney Doubles Gold 2008 Beijing Doubles Gold 2012 London Doubles Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Mixed doubles

Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American tennis player. She has been ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles for 11 weeks. She was also the world No. 1 in women's doubles for eight weeks.

Williams has won 49 singles titles on the WTA Tour. This includes seven major championships, called majors. She won five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open. She also won an Olympic gold medal in singles at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

She has won 22 doubles titles, including 14 majors and three Olympic gold medals. Venus and her younger sister, Serena, were coached by their parents, Oracene Price and Richard Williams.

Venus became a professional player in 1994. She reached her first major final at the 1997 US Open. In 2000 and 2001, Williams won both the Wimbledon and US Open titles. She also won Olympic singles gold in Sydney.

She first became the world No. 1 in singles on February 25, 2002. She was the first African American woman to reach this ranking in the Open era of tennis. She reached four major finals in a row between 2002 and 2003. She lost each of these finals to her sister Serena.

After some injuries, Williams won one major title between 2003 and 2006. She returned to top form in 2007, winning Wimbledon. She won Wimbledon again the next year. In 2010, she was ranked world No. 2 in singles. However, she then faced more injuries.

From 2014, she slowly improved her game. This led to her reaching two major finals in 2017. These were at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Besides her seven singles major titles, Williams has won 14 women's doubles major titles. She won all of these with Serena. They have never lost a major doubles final. She became the world No. 1 in doubles on June 7, 2010, with Serena. This happened after they won a non-calendar-year Grand Slam at the French Open.

The sisters also won three Olympic gold medals in women's doubles. These were in 2000, 2008, and 2012. Venus also has a singles gold from 2000 and a mixed doubles silver from 2016. Williams has also won two mixed doubles major titles. This brings her total major titles to 23.

The Williams sisters are known for bringing a new style of power and athleticism to women's tennis. Venus Williams was the top prize money earner in 2001 and 2017. She is second only to Serena in career prize money. She has earned over US$42 million.

Early Life and Training

Venus Williams was born in Lynwood, California. Her parents are Richard Williams and Oracene Price.

When Venus was eleven, her family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida. This allowed her and Serena to train at Rick Macci's tennis academy. Macci noticed their talent and helped coach them. He respected that their father wanted them to enjoy being kids.

Richard Williams stopped sending his daughters to junior tournaments when Venus was eleven. He wanted them to focus on school. He also felt that other parents were unfair to the Williams sisters. At that time, Venus had a perfect 63–0 record in junior tournaments. She was ranked No. 1 among under-12 players in Southern California. In 1995, Richard took over all their coaching.

Playing Style

Williams is an aggressive tennis player. She plays well from all areas of the court. Her powerful style means she hits many winning shots. She also makes some errors.

She has strong groundstrokes on both her forehand and backhand. She can hit the ball flat or with topspin. She also uses a slice backhand to change the pace of the game. Her serve is very powerful. She often hits many aces in a match.

At her best, her first serve averaged 182 km/h (113 mph). It often reached 199 km/h (124 mph). Her serve is now a bit slower, averaging 172 km/h (107 mph). It can still reach 189 km/h (117 mph). She uses effective kick and slice serves for her second serves. This makes it hard for opponents to score easy points.

Until 2014, she held the record for the fastest serve on the WTA Tour. This was 208 km/h (129 mph) at the 2007 US Open. She likes to come to the net to finish points quickly. Her height, at 6 feet 1 inch, gives her a long reach. This helps her make difficult returns at the net. She has many different shots she can use at the net.

Venus can hit winning shots from anywhere on the court. She is a smart player who can solve problems during a match. She plays with great power and strength. She rarely plays defensively. Her amazing speed and court coverage allow her to hit powerful shots even from tough positions. She is also known for her detailed footwork and great athleticism.

Career Highlights

1994–1996: Becoming a Professional

Venus Williams became a professional tennis player on October 31, 1994. She was 14 years old. In her first tournament, the Bank of the West Classic, she beat Shaun Stafford. In the next round, she was winning against world No. 2, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, but then lost. This was her only tournament in 1994.

In 1995, Williams played three more events. She reached the quarterfinals in Oakland. There, she beat No. 18 Amy Frazier for her first win against a top-20 player. In 1996, she played five events. She reached the third round in Los Angeles, losing to No. 1 Steffi Graf.

1997: First Major Final

In 1997, Williams played 15 tournaments. She reached the quarterfinals in three big events. In March, she beat No. 9, Iva Majoli, for her first win against a top-10 player. Her ranking entered the top 100 on April 14, 1997.

She played in her first major tournament at the French Open. She reached the second round. She then lost in the first round of Wimbledon.

At her first US Open, she reached the final. She lost to Martina Hingis.

1998: First Titles and Top 5 Ranking

At the Australian Open, Venus played her sister Serena for the first time as professionals. Venus won, but then lost in the quarterfinals.

Three weeks later, Venus beat No. 2 Lindsay Davenport for the first time. This was in the semifinals of a tournament in Oklahoma City. She then won her first singles title by beating Joannette Kruger in the final. The next week, she won a big tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida. On March 30, 1998, her ranking reached the top 10 for the first time, at No. 10.

Williams played on clay courts before the 1998 French Open. She reached the final of the Italian Open, losing to No. 1 Hingis. She lost to Hingis again in the French Open quarterfinals. On July 27, 1998, her ranking rose to world No. 5.

She reached her fifth final of the year at the Stanford Classic. She beat No. 6 Monica Seles but lost to No. 1 Davenport. At the US Open, she lost to Davenport in the semifinals. 1998 was the first year she reached at least the quarterfinals of all major tournaments.

Williams won her third title of the year at the Grand Slam Cup in Munich. She finished the year ranked No. 5.

In 1998, Williams won mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and French Open with Justin Gimelstob. She also won her first two women's doubles titles with her sister Serena. They were only the third pair of sisters to win a WTA doubles title.

1999: Three Big Titles

Williams started 1999 in Australia. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She then beat Steffi Graf for the first time in Hanover. Williams then won titles in Oklahoma City and Key Biscayne again. In Key Biscayne, she beat her sister Serena in the final. This was the first time two sisters played each other in a WTA Tour final.

She won her first clay court title in Hamburg. She then won the Italian Open in Rome. She beat No. 1 Hingis and No. 8 Mary Pierce. At the French Open, she had won 22 matches in a row before losing in the fourth round. Venus and Serena won the women's doubles title at this event. This was their first major doubles title together.

At Wimbledon, Williams reached the quarterfinals. She lost to Graf.

Williams won two matches for the Fed Cup against Italy. She lost in the final of the Stanford Classic to No. 1 Davenport. The next week, she beat Davenport in San Diego. In her last tournament before the US Open, Williams won in New Haven. She beat No. 5 Seles and Davenport. On August 30, 1999, her world ranking reached third for the first time. She lost in the semifinals of the 1999 US Open to No. 1 Hingis. However, she and Serena won their second major women's doubles title.

Williams helped the USA team win the Fed Cup final against Russia. She won a singles match and then won the doubles match with Serena. She won her sixth title of the year in Zurich. She finished the year ranked No. 3.

2000: Olympic Gold and First Major Titles

In 2000, Williams missed the first five months due to wrist pain. She returned during the clay court season. She lost in the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Williams then won 35 singles matches in a row and six tournaments. She won her first major singles title at Wimbledon. She beat No. 1 Martina Hingis, then Serena, and then Lindsay Davenport in the final. She and Serena also won the women's doubles title there.

She won three tournaments during the summer hardcourt season. She beat Davenport in Stanford and Monica Seles in San Diego and New Haven.

At the 2000 US Open, Williams beat No. 1 Hingis and No. 2 Davenport in the final. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she won the gold medal. She beat Elena Dementieva in the final. She also won the gold medal in women's doubles with Serena. Williams finished the year ranked world No. 3 with six singles titles.

2001: More Major Titles

In 2001, Williams reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. She lost to No. 1 Hingis. However, she and Serena won the doubles title. This completed a Career Golden Slam in women's doubles for them.

Williams won the Key Biscayne Open. She beat Hingis and No. 4 Jennifer Capriati. Her ranking rose to a career high of No. 2.

She won a tournament in Hamburg. She then successfully defended her Wimbledon title. She beat Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin in the final.

During the summer hardcourt season, Williams won in San Diego and New Haven again. Williams also won the 2001 US Open singles title for the second year in a row. She did not lose a set. In the final, she played her sister Serena. This was the first major singles final between two sisters in the Open Era. Venus won her fourth major singles title.

Williams became only the sixth woman to win Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive years.

2002: World No. 1 Ranking

Williams started 2002 by winning in Gold Coast. She then won in Paris and Antwerp. Because of her strong start, Williams became the world No. 1 on February 25. She was the first African-American woman to hold this ranking. She held it for three weeks.

She won the Amelia Island Championships. A week later, she was No. 1 again for three weeks. At the French Open, Williams reached the final for the first time. She lost to her sister Serena. Williams became No. 1 again after this final.

At Wimbledon, Williams reached the final for the third year in a row. She lost to Serena again. The Williams sisters won the women's doubles title. This was their fifth major doubles title.

Williams won titles in San Diego and New Haven for the third year in a row. At the 2002 US Open, Williams reached the final. She played Serena for their third major final in a row. Serena won again. Williams finished the year ranked No. 2. She won seven titles, her best year for titles.

2003: Major Finals and Injuries

Williams started 2003 by reaching the final of the Australian Open for the first time. She lost to Serena. This was the first time in the Open Era that the same two players met in four major finals in a row. Venus and Serena won the women's doubles title. This was their sixth major doubles title.

In February, Williams won in Antwerp again. After this, she started to have injuries. She reached the final in Warsaw but had to stop playing due to injury. She then lost early at the French Open.

At Wimbledon, Williams reached her fourth Wimbledon final in a row. She lost to Serena again.

Wimbledon was her last event of the year. An abdominal injury stopped her from playing. Williams finished the year ranked No. 11. This was her first time outside the top 10 in almost six years.

2004: More Injuries

In 2004, Williams had mixed results due to injuries. She lost in the third round of the Australian Open.

She started to play better on clay courts. She won her first title in over a year in Charleston. She then won in Warsaw. She reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. She lost to the eventual champion. She re-entered the top 10.

At Wimbledon, Williams lost in the second round. This was her earliest exit from Wimbledon since 1997. She then lost in the final of the Stanford Classic.

At the Athens Olympics, Williams lost in the third round. At the 2004 US Open, she lost in the fourth round. This was her earliest loss at the US Open. Williams finished the year as No. 9.

2005: Third Wimbledon Title

In 2005, Williams lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open. She reached the final in Antwerp.

In March, she beat Serena in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. This was her first win against Serena since 2001. Venus lost in the semifinals. In May, she won her first title in over a year on clay in Istanbul. However, at the French Open, she lost in the third round.

Williams was seeded 14th at Wimbledon. She reached the semifinals. She beat the defending champion Maria Sharapova. She then played top-seeded Davenport in the final. Williams saved a match point and won. This was her third Wimbledon singles title and fifth major singles title overall. It was her first major title since 2001. She was the first player in 70 years to win Wimbledon after being down match point in the final.

Williams reached her fourth final of the year in Stanford. At the 2005 US Open, she beat Serena again in the fourth round. She then lost in the quarterfinals. She finished the year ranked No. 10.

2006: Wrist Injury and Ranking Drop

In 2006, Williams lost in the first round of the Australian Open. This was her earliest loss there. She then missed three months due to a wrist injury. She returned on clay in Warsaw. She reached the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Williams was the defending champion at Wimbledon. She lost in the third round. She said she had wrist pain. Williams missed the US Open due to the wrist injury. She finished the season as No. 46. This was her lowest ranking since 1997.

2007: Fourth Wimbledon Title

Williams missed the 2007 Australian Open due to her wrist injury. She returned in February in Memphis. She won her first singles title since Wimbledon 2005.

She reached the semifinals of the Charleston Open. She lost in the third round of the French Open. During a match, Williams hit a 206 km/h (128 mph) serve. This was one of the fastest women's serves ever.

Williams was ranked No. 31 before Wimbledon. She was seeded 23rd. She won two tough matches in the first and third rounds. She then reached her sixth Wimbledon final. She beat Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Ana Ivanovic. In the final, she beat Marion Bartoli. Williams became only the fourth woman in the Open Era to win Wimbledon at least four times. She also became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon champion ever. She returned to the top 20.

At the 2007 US Open, Williams hit a record 208 km/h (129 mph) serve. She reached her first major semifinal outside Wimbledon since 2003. She lost to Justine Henin. Her ranking moved up to No. 9. Williams won her third title of the year in Seoul. She finished the year ranked No. 9.

2008: Fifth Wimbledon Title and Olympic Gold

In 2008, Williams reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She lost to Ana Ivanovic. She reached her first semifinal of the year in Bangalore. She played Serena for the first time since 2005. Serena won.

Williams missed two clay court tournaments. At the French Open, she lost in the third round.

Williams was the defending champion at Wimbledon. She reached her seventh Wimbledon singles final without losing a set. She won her fifth Wimbledon singles title by beating Serena. This was their first major final against each other since 2003. It was Venus's first win against Serena in a major final since 2001. Venus and Serena then won the women's doubles title. This was their first major doubles title together since 2003.

Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics. However, she and Serena won a gold medal in women's doubles. This was their second Olympic gold medal as a team. At the 2008 US Open, Williams lost to Serena in a close quarterfinal match.

In October, Williams won the Zurich Open. This secured her spot in the 2008 WTA Tour Championships in Doha. There, Williams won all her round-robin matches. In the semifinals, she beat No. 1 Jelena Janković. She then won the year-ending tournament for the first time. She finished the year ranked No. 6.

2009: Four Major Doubles Titles in a Row

At the 2009 Australian Open, Williams lost in the second round. However, she and Serena won the women's doubles title. This was their eighth major doubles title together. Williams then won the Dubai Tennis Championships. She beat No. 4 Dementieva and No. 1 Serena. This win meant Williams was ranked in the top five for the first time since 2003. It was also her 40th singles title. Williams won another title in Acapulco. This was her first clay title since 2005.

On European clay, Williams reached the semifinals in Rome. This put her in the top three for the first time since 2003. At the French Open, Williams lost in the third round.

Williams was seeded third at Wimbledon. She reached her eighth Wimbledon final. She had won 34 sets in a row. However, she lost to Serena in two sets. The Williams sisters won the doubles tournament for the fourth time.

In Stanford, Williams reached the finals. She lost to Marion Bartoli. She and Serena won the doubles title there.

At the 2009 US Open, Williams reached the fourth round. She lost to Kim Clijsters. She and Serena won their third major doubles title of 2009.

Williams's last tournament in 2009 was the Tour Championships. She reached the final but lost to Serena. In doubles, she and Serena lost in the semifinal. Their doubles record for the year was 24–2. Williams finished 2009 ranked No. 6 in singles and No. 3 in doubles with Serena.

2010: World No. 2 in Singles and No. 1 in Doubles

Williams played at the 2010 Australian Open as the sixth seed. She reached the quarterfinals. In doubles, she and Serena successfully defended their title. She then won the Mexican Open in Acapulco. This was her 43rd career title.

Her next tournament was the Miami Open. She reached her fourth Miami Open final. She lost to Kim Clijsters. Her ranking improved to No. 4. She crossed $26 million in career prize money.

A knee injury made her miss some tournaments. Williams returned at the Italian Open in Rome. She lost in the quarterfinals. Her ranking improved to No. 3 on May 10.

She lost in the final of the Madrid Open. She and Serena won the doubles title there. On May 17, her ranking improved to No. 2, behind only Serena. This was the fourth time the Williams sisters were ranked No. 1 and No. 2.

At the 2010 French Open, she reached the fourth round. She and Serena became No. 1 in doubles. They won their fourth major women's doubles title in a row. Venus and Serena became only the sixth and seventh women to be No. 1 in both singles and doubles.

At the Wimbledon Championships, she reached the quarterfinals. She lost to a lower-ranked player. She and Serena lost in the doubles quarterfinals.

Williams missed all tournaments in the 2010 US Open Series due to a knee injury. She still played at the 2010 US Open as the third seed. She reached her eighth US Open semifinal. She lost to defending champion Clijsters.

Her knee injury took longer to heal. She missed the rest of 2010. Williams ended the year ranked fifth in singles. This was her first time in the top five since 2002.

2011: Sjögren's Syndrome Diagnosis

Williams started 2011 at an exhibition event. At the 2011 Australian Open, Williams stopped playing in her third-round match due to a hip injury. This was her first time stopping a match in a major tournament since 1994. The injury forced her to miss several tournaments. Her ranking dropped to No. 29. Her absence from the French Open was the first time neither Williams sister played in a major since 2003.

Williams played her first match since the Australian Open in Eastbourne. She lost in the quarterfinals. She was seeded 23rd at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. She won two tough matches. She then lost in the fourth round.

Williams withdrew from tournaments due to a viral illness. Her next tournament was the 2011 US Open. She won her first-round match. She then withdrew before her second-round match. She was diagnosed with Sjögren syndrome. This is an autoimmune disease that causes tiredness and pain. This was the first year she did not reach at least the quarterfinals in any major. Her ranking dropped to No. 105.

Williams did not play competitively for the rest of the year. She finished the year ranked No. 102.

2012: Comeback and Olympic Gold Record

Williams missed the 2012 Australian Open due to health problems. Her ranking dropped to No. 135. In February, she returned to play doubles in the Fed Cup.

Williams played in the Miami and Charleston tournaments. In Miami, she beat No. 3 Petra Kvitová. This was her first top-3 win since 2009. She reached the quarterfinals. Her ranking improved to No. 87. A week later in Charleston, she reached her second quarterfinal.

Williams played in Madrid and Rome. In Rome, she reached her third quarterfinal. Her ranking increased to No. 52. She lost in the second round of the French Open.

At Wimbledon, Williams was not seeded for the first time since 1997. She lost in the first round. This was her first opening round loss at Wimbledon since 1997. She and Serena won their fifth Wimbledon doubles title.

Williams played at the 2012 London Olympics. She lost in the third round in singles. In doubles, she and Serena won their third gold medal. With this win, the Williams sisters had won the most Olympic gold medals in tennis.

Williams played at Cincinnati. She reached the semifinals. Her ranking returned to the top 50. At the US Open, Williams lost in the second round.

Williams won her 44th career title in over two and a half years at the Luxembourg Open. Her ranking rose to No. 24. She finished the year with this ranking.

2013: Back Injury

At the 2013 Hopman Cup, Williams played for the USA. She won her singles matches. She also won in mixed doubles.

At the Australian Open, she lost in the third round. Her next tournament was the Brasil Tennis Cup. She reached her first semifinal of the year. This helped her stay in the top 20. She stopped playing in the Miami Open due to a lower back injury.

A week later, Williams played in Charleston. She reached the semifinals, losing to Serena. This was their first match since 2009. She helped the United States win a Fed Cup tie against Sweden. Williams missed the Madrid Open and lost early in Rome. She lost in the first round of the French Open. She also pulled out of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships due to a back injury. This was the first time she missed Wimbledon in her career.

At the Roger's Cup, she lost in the first round. At the Western and Southern Open, she lost in the second round. At the 2013 US Open, she won her first-round match. She lost in the second round. She and Serena reached the doubles semifinals. Williams's last tournament of the season was the Kremlin Cup, but she withdrew due to injury.

2014: Ending Title Drought

Williams started 2014 in Auckland, where she was runner-up. At the 2014 Australian Open, she lost in the first round. In Doha, she lost in the second round. Williams then won the Dubai Tennis Championships. This was her biggest title since 2010. At 33 years old, she became one of the oldest women to win a WTA singles title.

At the 2014 French Open, Williams lost in three sets. Williams then lost in the third round of Wimbledon to the eventual champion.

Williams played her first tournament of the 2014 US Open Series at the Stanford Classic. She won her first top-10 match of the year. She lost in the quarterfinals. At the Rogers Cup, Williams beat No. 7 Angelique Kerber. She then beat Carla Suárez Navarro. She advanced to the semifinals, where she beat Serena. This was her first win against Serena since 2009. She lost the final. At the 2014 US Open, Williams reached the third round.

Williams played at the Bell Challenge in Quebec. She reached her fourth final of the year. She lost in the final. Williams ended the year ranked No. 19 in singles. This was her first time in the top 20 since 2010.

2015: Back in the Top 10

Williams started 2015 by winning her 46th singles title at the Auckland Open. At the Australian Open, Williams reached the quarterfinals. This was her first major quarterfinal since 2010. Her 16-match winning streak at the Dubai Tennis Championships ended. She reached the semifinals of the Qatar Open. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.

Williams lost in the first round of the Madrid Open. She reached the third round of the Italian Open. Williams lost in the first round of the French Open. She then lost to Serena in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

Williams lost in the first round of the Rogers Cup. This pushed her outside the top 20. She withdrew from the Cincinnati Open due to a virus. She was seeded 23rd for the 2015 US Open. She reached the quarterfinals. She played Serena in their 27th match. Williams lost in three sets.

Williams won her fifth top-10 match of the season at the Wuhan Open. She won her 700th career match. She won her biggest title in over five years when her opponent retired. The next week, Williams lost in the second round of the China Open. She reached the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open.

Williams qualified for the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. She won the tournament, her third title of the season and 48th career title. She re-entered the top ten for the first time since 2011. She finished the year at No. 7. She received the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award.

2016: Wimbledon Semifinal

Williams started 2016 at the Auckland Open. She lost in the first round. At the Australian Open, she lost in the first round. She helped the USA Fed Cup Team win. Williams won her 49th career title at the Taiwan Open.

Williams returned to Indian Wells for the first time in 15 years. She lost in the second round. The next week, she lost in the second round of the Miami Open. She began the clay-court season in Charleston. She lost in the third round. She missed the Madrid Open due to a hamstring injury. She lost in the second round in Rome. At the French Open, Williams reached the fourth round for the first time since 2010. She lost in straight sets. However, her ranking returned to the top 10. She and Serena won their first major doubles match since 2014.

At the Wimbledon Championships, Williams reached the third round. She advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in six years. In her first major semifinal since 2010, she lost in straight sets. In the doubles tournament, Venus and Serena won their 14th major title together.

Williams began her US Open Series at the Stanford Classic. She reached her eighth final in Stanford. She lost in the final. Her ranking rose to No. 6. Williams then played at the Rogers Cup. She lost in the third round.

Williams did not win medals in singles and doubles at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. She lost in the first round in both events. She entered the mixed doubles event with Rajeev Ram. They won a silver medal. By winning a silver medal, Williams became the only female player to win a medal in all three events (singles, doubles, and mixed). Her five medals mean she shares the record for most Olympic medals won in tennis.

At the 2016 US Open, Williams broke the record for most major appearances, with 72. She reached the fourth round. She lost after failing to win a match point.

Williams lost in the third round in Wuhan. She lost in the first round of the China Open. She finished the year ranked No. 17.

2017: Two Major Finals and Return to Top 5

Williams started 2017 at Auckland. She won her first match but then withdrew due to an arm injury. Seeded 13th at the Australian Open, Williams reached the quarterfinals. She won her 50th match at the Australian Open. She reached her first major final since Wimbledon 2009. She lost to Serena in the final. The next week, Williams lost in the second round in St. Petersburg.

At the Indian Wells Open, Williams won her first match there since 2001. She reached the quarterfinals. The following week, Williams won her first top-ten match since 2015. She beat No. 1 Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals. She became the oldest player to beat a current No. 1. She lost in the semifinals.

Williams lost in the first round of the Charleston Open. She withdrew from the Madrid Open due to an arm injury. She played at the Italian Open. She reached her first quarterfinal in Rome since 2012. Williams reached the fourth round of the French Open.

Williams entered Wimbledon as the number 10 seed. She reached the quarterfinals for the 13th time. This was her 100th career match at Wimbledon. She advanced to her ninth Wimbledon final. This was her 87th win at Wimbledon. This was also the first season since 2003 that Williams reached two major finals. Williams lost the final. She gained the No. 9 ranking.

Williams began her US Open Series at the Canadian Open. She lost in the third round. The next week, Williams lost in the second round in Cincinnati. At the 2017 US Open, Williams reached the fourth round. She reached the second week of all majors in a single season for the first time since 2010. She reached her 12th US Open quarterfinal. She guaranteed her return to the top five in the WTA rankings. Williams lost in three sets to Sloane Stephens in the semifinals.

Williams qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time since 2010. She reached her first final at the year-end championships since 2009. She lost in the final. She finished the year ranked No. 5. She was the top prize money earner for the year.

2018: 1000th Match, Struggles with Form

Williams began 2018 at the Sydney International. She lost in the second round. At the Australian Open, Williams lost in the first round. This ended her streak of seven straight second-week appearances at majors.

Williams played in the Fed Cup quarterfinals. She won both her singles matches. She played her 1000th career match.

At the Indian Wells Open, Williams beat Serena for the 12th time. She reached the semifinals. The following week at the Miami Open, Williams saved three match points. She reached the quarterfinals.

Williams lost in the first round of the Madrid Open. She lost in the third round of the Italian Open. Williams lost in the first round of the French Open. This was her first time losing in the first round of two majors in a row. She reached the third round in doubles with Serena.

The defending finalist at Wimbledon, Williams lost in the third round. She dropped out of the top ten.

Williams played at the Silicon Valley Classic. She lost in the quarterfinals. She won her first two rounds at the Rogers Cup. She lost to the world No. 1, Simona Halep. She withdrew from the Western & Southern Open due to a knee injury.

At the 2018 US Open, Williams lost to Serena in the third round. Following the US Open, Venus withdrew from tournaments. She finished the season ranked No. 40.

2019: Continued Struggles

Williams began 2019 with an exhibition match against Serena. Williams then played in Auckland. She lost in the quarterfinals. At the Australian Open, Williams lost in the third round to Simona Halep.

At Indian Wells, Williams beat the third seed Petra Kvitová. This was her first top-five win since 2017. She reached her third straight Indian Wells quarterfinal. She lost to Angelique Kerber.

At the Miami Open, Williams reached the fourth round. She lost to Simona Halep again.

Williams started her clay-court season at the Italian Open. She won a long match. Serena withdrew from their second-round match due to injury. Williams lost in the third round. She lost in the first round of the French Open.

Williams played a Wimbledon warmup event. She reached the quarterfinals. She lost to the new world No. 1, Ashleigh Barty. This run helped Williams return to the top 50. At Wimbledon, Williams lost to 15-year-old qualifier Coco Gauff in the first round. This was her earliest Wimbledon exit since 2012.

2020: Out of Top 75

Williams withdrew from early 2020 tournaments. At the Australian Open, Williams lost to Coco Gauff in the first round. At the Mexican Open, she lost in the first round.

After a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams returned to play. Her first official tournament was the Top Seed Open. She beat Victoria Azarenka. She then played Serena for the 31st time, losing in three sets. Williams then lost in the first round of the Western & Southern Open. Her ranking dropped to No. 67.

At the US Open, Williams lost in the first round. She then played at the Italian Open. She lost in the first round. At the French Open, Williams lost in straight sets. She finished the year with one match win. Her ranking fell to 78.

2021–2022: Out of the Top 100, 90th Major Appearance

Williams started 2021 at the Yarra Valley Classic. She reached the second round of the Australian Open. She then had a five-match losing streak. Her ranking dropped out of the top 100 in May. At the French Open, she lost in the first round. She received a wildcard for Wimbledon. She won her first-round match. This was Venus Williams's record 90th major appearance. It was also her 90th match win at Wimbledon.

She missed the next four major tournaments in singles. She received a wildcard for the 2022 US Open. She lost in the first round. She also played doubles with Serena at the US Open. Their first-round match was the first doubles match on Center Court at night. They lost. With Serena's retirement, this was the final major doubles match for the sisters. Venus later said she also retired from playing doubles.

2023: 30th Year on Tour, Ongoing Injuries

In January 2023, Williams received a wildcard for the Auckland Open. She started her 30th year on the WTA Tour with a win. She lost in the second round. Williams received a wildcard for the 2023 Australian Open but had to withdraw due to an injury. The injury made her miss the rest of the hard court and clay seasons.

Williams received a wildcard at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships. She lost in the first round. Venus then played in the 2023 Birmingham Classic. She won her first match as a 43-year-old. She beat a top-50 player for the first time in almost four years. She lost in the second round. Williams continued to have injuries. She received a wildcard for the 2023 Wimbledon main draw. She lost in the first round and suffered a serious knee injury. Williams said it was hard to deal with the injuries.

Williams lost in the first round of the Canadian Open. She then won her first Top 20 match in over four years at the Western & Southern Open. She lost her next match.

At the US Open, in her 100th career US Open match, she lost in the first round. Williams ended the 2023 season ranked No. 412.

2024–2025: Wildcards and Future Plans

Despite her injuries in 2023, Williams planned to return to action in March 2024. She missed the Australian hardcourt season. She played in Indian Wells and Miami. She lost in the first round of both tournaments.

In 2025, Williams received a wildcard for Indian Wells but turned it down. In May 2025, Williams said she had not retired. She said she would return to the court "when the time feels right." In July 2025, Williams accepted a wildcard for the 2025 Washington Open.

Fight for Equal Prize Money

For many years, tennis pioneer Billie Jean King and others fought for equal prize money. In 2005, the French Open and Wimbledon still paid women less than men. In 2005, Williams met with officials from both tournaments. She argued that female tennis players should be paid the same as male players.

A key moment was an essay Williams wrote for The Times in 2006. She said Wimbledon was on the "wrong side of history." After this, British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported Williams. Later that year, the Women's Tennis Association and UNESCO started a campaign for gender equality in sports. They asked Williams to lead it.

Because of this pressure, Wimbledon announced in February 2007 that it would pay equal prize money to all players. The French Open did the same a day later. The Chicago Sun-Times said Williams was the main reason for this change. Williams herself said, "Somewhere in the world a little girl is dreaming of holding a giant trophy in her hands and being viewed as an equal to boys who have similar dreams."

Williams was the first woman to benefit from equal prize money at Wimbledon. She won the 2007 tournament and received the same amount as the male winner Roger Federer. Williams's fight for equality was shown in the documentary Venus Vs. It was released on July 2, 2013.

Other Activities on Court

1998: Karsten Braasch vs. the Williams Sisters

Williams and Serena played a "Battle of the Sexes" match against Karsten Braasch at the 1998 Australian Open. Braasch was ranked 203rd in the world. He was more than 13 years older than the sisters. He beat Serena 6–1 and Venus 6–2 in single sets.

Personal Life

In 2007, Williams earned her associate degree in fashion design.

In 2011, Williams had to withdraw from the US Open. She was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome. After this, she started a vegan diet.

In 2015, Williams earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. She studied online while playing tennis professionally.

Williams was raised as a Jehovah's Witness.

Business Ventures

Williams is the CEO of her interior design company, V Starr Interiors. Her company designed the set of the Tavis Smiley Show. They also designed apartments for Olympic athletes.

In 2001, Ladies Home Journal named Williams one of the 30 most powerful women in America.

In 2007, Williams launched her own fashion line, EleVen. She said she loved using her design education to create clothes she could wear. Her line was shown during New York Fashion Week in 2012. Athletes modeled the clothes.

In June 2009, Forbes magazine listed Williams among the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities.

In August 2009, Williams and Serena became part owners of the Miami Dolphins. They were the first African-American women to own part of an NFL team.

In June 2010, Williams released her first book, Come to Win; On How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession. The book reached the top five on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Recognition

Williams is seen as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

In 2005, Tennis Magazine ranked Williams as the 25th-best player of the past 40 years.

In June 2011, Time named her one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis."

In 2018, Tennis Magazine ranked Williams as the eighth-best female player of the Open Era.

In May 2020, both the Tennis Channel and Newsday ranked Williams as the eighth-greatest female player of all time.

Equipment

In 1995, Williams signed a deal with Reebok. She wore their clothes and shoes. She used a Wilson Hammer 6.2 Stretch racket.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Performance

Current through the 2023 US Open.

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Singles: 16 (7 Titles, 9 Runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1997	US Open	Hard	Martina Hingis	0–6, 4–6
Win	2000	Wimbledon	Grass	Lindsay Davenport	6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Win	2000	US Open	Hard	Lindsay Davenport	6–4, 7–5
Win	2001	Wimbledon (2)	Grass	Justine Henin	6–1, 3–6, 6–0
Win	2001	US Open (2)	Hard	Serena Williams	6–2, 6–4
Loss	2002	French Open	Clay	Serena Williams	5–7, 3–6
Loss	2002	Wimbledon	Grass	Serena Williams	6–7(4–7), 3–6
Loss	2002	US Open	Hard	Serena Williams	4–6, 3–6
Loss	2003	Australian Open	Hard	Serena Williams	6–7(4–7), 6–3, 4–6
Loss	2003	Wimbledon	Grass	Serena Williams	6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Win	2005	Wimbledon (3)	Grass	Lindsay Davenport	4–6, 7–6(7–4), 9–7
Win	2007	Wimbledon (4)	Grass	Marion Bartoli	6–4, 6–1
Win	2008	Wimbledon (5)	Grass	Serena Williams	7–5, 6–4
Loss	2009	Wimbledon	Grass	Serena Williams	6–7(3–7), 2–6
Loss	2017	Australian Open	Hard	Serena Williams	4–6, 4–6
Loss	2017	Wimbledon	Grass	Garbiñe Muguruza	5–7, 0–6

Doubles: 14 (14 Titles)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1999	French Open	Clay	Serena Williams	Martina Hingis Anna Kournikova	6–3, 6–7(2–7), 8–6
Win	1999	US Open	Hard	Serena Williams	Chanda Rubin Sandrine Testud	4–6, 6–1, 6–4
Win	2000	Wimbledon	Grass	Serena Williams	Julie Halard-Decugis Ai Sugiyama	6–3, 6–2
Win	2001	Australian Open	Hard	Serena Williams	Lindsay Davenport Corina Morariu	6–2, 2–6, 6–4
Win	2002	Wimbledon (2)	Grass	Serena Williams	Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez	6–2, 7–5
Win	2003	Australian Open (2)	Hard	Serena Williams	Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez	4–6, 6–4, 6–3
Win	2008	Wimbledon (3)	Grass	Serena Williams	Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur	6–2, 6–2
Win	2009	Australian Open (3)	Hard	Serena Williams	Daniela Hantuchová Ai Sugiyama	6–3, 6–3
Win	2009	Wimbledon (4)	Grass	Serena Williams	Samantha Stosur Rennae Stubbs	7–6(7–4), 6–4
Win	2009	US Open (2)	Hard	Serena Williams	Cara Black Liezel Huber	6–2, 6–2
Win	2010	Australian Open (4)	Hard	Serena Williams	Cara Black Liezel Huber	6–4, 6–3
Win	2010	French Open (2)	Clay	Serena Williams	Květa Peschke Katarina Srebotnik	6–2, 6–3
Win	2012	Wimbledon (5)	Grass	Serena Williams	Andrea Hlaváčková Lucie Hradecká	7–5, 6–4
Win	2016	Wimbledon (6)	Grass	Serena Williams	Tímea Babos Yaroslava Shvedova	6–3, 6–4

Mixed Doubles: 3 (2 Titles, 1 Runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1998	Australian Open	Hard	Justin Gimelstob	Helena Suková Cyril Suk	6–2, 6–1
Win	1998	French Open	Clay	Justin Gimelstob	Serena Williams Luis Lobo	6–4, 6–4
Loss	2006	Wimbledon	Grass	Bob Bryan	Vera Zvonareva Andy Ram	3–6, 2–6

World Team Tennis

Williams has played 14 seasons of World TeamTennis. She first played in 2000. She has won five King Trophies. She won her first with the Freedoms in 2006. She won four trophies with the Kastles in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. She was named the 2012 WTT Final MVP. She was scheduled to join the Washington Kastles during the 2020 WTT season.

Records and Achievements

At the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Williams set a record. She has played in the most Grand Slam tournaments, with 90. She holds the record for the longest time between a player's first and most recent major singles finals.

Venus has won four Olympic gold medals. She won one in singles and three in women's doubles with Serena. She also won one silver medal in mixed doubles. This ties her with Kathleen McKane Godfree for the most Olympic medals in tennis history. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she was the second player to win Olympic gold in both singles and doubles at one Olympics.

After winning silver in mixed doubles at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Williams became the first tennis player to win a medal at four Olympic Games. She is also the first player in the Open Era to win an Olympic medal in all three events (singles, doubles, mixed). She and Serena are the only tennis players with four Olympic gold medals. They are also the only ones to win Olympic gold in the same event three times. They are the only women in the Open Era to win Olympic tennis gold in both singles and doubles.

• These records were achieved in the Open era of tennis.
• Records in bold mean she is the only one to achieve them.
• Records in italics are still active.

Championship	Years	Record accomplished	Player tied
1997 French Open – 2023 US Open	1997–2023	most appearances (93) in Grand Slam singles draw	stands alone
1999 French Open – 2016 Wimbledon	1999–2016	first 14 Grand Slam doubles finals won (with Serena Williams)	Serena Williams
2002 French Open – 2003 Australian Open	2002–2003	four consecutive runner-up finishes	stands alone
2002 French Open – 2003 Australian Open	2002–2003	four consecutive runner-up finishes to the same player (Serena Williams)	stands alone
2003 Australian Open – 2017 Australian Open	2003–2017	14 years between first and last final	Chris Evert Serena Williams
2000 Wimbledon – 2017 Wimbledon	2000–2017	17 years between first and last final	Serena Williams
Wimbledon	2005	longest women's singles final (2h 45min)	Lindsay Davenport
	2007	lowest-ranked champion (31st)	stands alone
	2007	lowest-seeded champion (23rd)	stands alone
	2008	fastest serve by a woman (129 mph)	stands alone
US Open	2007	fastest serve by a woman (129 mph)	stands alone
Summer Olympics	2000–2012	4 Olympic gold medals	Serena Williams
	2000–2016	5 Olympic finals	stands alone
	2000–2012	3 doubles Olympic gold medals (with Serena Williams)	Serena Williams
	2000–2016	most Olympic medals won by a male or female player (5)	Kathleen McKane Godfree
	2000–2016	has won an Olympic medal in all three events (singles, doubles & mixed)	Kathleen McKane Godfree
	2000–2016	has won an Olympic medal at four Olympic Games	stands alone
Miami Open	1998–2002	22 consecutive singles matches won at this tournament	Steffi Graf
Dubai Tennis Championships	2009–2015	16 consecutive singles matches won at this tournament	stands alone
	2010–2014	2 consecutive singles titles without dropping a set	Justine Henin
	2014	only unseeded player to have won in singles and as a wildcard	stands alone
Connecticut Open	1999–2002	4 consecutive singles titles	Caroline Wozniacki
	1999–2000	2 consecutive singles titles without dropping a set	stands alone
U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships	1998–2007	most singles titles won at this tournament (3)	stands alone
Southern California Open	1999–2002	4 consecutive singles finals	Tracy Austin
Mexican Open	2009–2010	2 consecutive singles titles	Sara Errani Lesia Tsurenko
Year-end championships	1998–2008–2015	won all 3 titles Grand Slam Cup, WTA Finals and WTA Elite Trophy in singles	stands alone

Awards

Filmography

• Venus and Serena (2012), a documentary film about the lives and careers of Venus and Serena Williams.
• King Richard (2021, executive producer), a movie about Venus and Serena Williams.

Television

Year	Title	Role	Network	Notes
2020	Game On!	Self	CBS	Also executive producer

See also

In Spanish: Venus Williams para niños