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)
Current ranking	No. 977 (December 30, 2024)
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%)
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%)
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 amazing American tennis player. She has played professionally for many years. Venus used to be the world's top player in both singles (playing alone) and doubles (playing with a partner). She has won seven major tennis tournaments called Grand Slams. Five of these wins were at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open. Many people think she is one of the best tennis players ever.

Venus Williams 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 big final at the U.S. Open in 1997. In 2000 and 2001, Venus won the Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles. She also won an Olympic gold medal in singles at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. On February 25, 2002, she became the world's No. 1 singles player. She was the first African American woman to reach this spot in the modern tennis era. Between 2002 and 2003, she played in four major finals in a row. However, she lost each time to her sister Serena. After that, Venus had some injuries. She only won one major title between 2003 and 2006.

Venus got back in top form starting in 2007. She won Wimbledon that year and again the next year. In 2010, she was ranked No. 2 in singles again. But then, she faced more injuries. From 2014, she slowly got back to her best. In 2017, she reached two major finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Besides her seven singles major titles, Venus has won 14 women's doubles major titles. She won all of them with her sister Serena. They have never lost a Grand Slam doubles final. Venus became the world No. 1 in doubles on June 7, 2010, with Serena. They achieved this after winning a special set of major tournaments in a row. This was 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 won a singles gold medal in 2000 and a mixed doubles silver medal in 2016. She also won two mixed doubles major titles in 1998.

Venus was the top earner in prize money twice, in 2001 and 2017. She is second only to Serena in total career prize money. She has earned over US$42 million as of March 2022. The Williams sisters changed women's tennis with their powerful and athletic style.

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 was so she and Serena could go to Rick Macci's tennis academy. Rick Macci noticed how talented the sisters were. He helped coach them, even though he sometimes disagreed with their father. He admired that Richard let his daughters be kids.

Richard stopped sending his daughters to junior tournaments when Venus was eleven. He wanted them to take things slowly and focus on school. He also felt there was unfair treatment because of their race. At that time, Venus had won 63 matches and lost none on the junior tour. She was ranked No. 1 for players under 12 in Southern California. In 1995, Richard took his daughters out of Macci's academy. He then took over all their coaching himself.

How Venus Plays Tennis

Venus Williams is a very strong and active tennis player. She plays all over the court. Because of her powerful style, she hits many winning shots. She also sometimes makes mistakes.

She hits the ball hard with both her forehand and backhand. She can hit the ball flat or with a lot of spin. She also uses a slice shot with her backhand to slow down the game. Her serve is very powerful, and she often hits many aces (serves that opponents can't return). When she was at her best, her first serve was usually around 182 km/h (113 mph). It often reached 199 km/h (124 mph). Her serve is a bit slower now, usually around 172 km/h (107 mph). It can still reach 189 km/h (117 mph).

She also uses kick and slice serves for her second serves. This stops opponents from getting 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 U.S. Open. Venus likes to come to the net and finish points quickly. Her height, at 6 feet 1 inch, helps her reach difficult shots at the net. She has many different shots she can use at the net to win points.

Venus can hit winning shots from anywhere on the court. She is a smart player who can solve problems during a match. She also plays with great power and energy. She rarely plays defensively. She almost never hits drop shots or lobs. Her amazing speed and ability to cover the court let her hit powerful shots even from tough positions. Her quick and detailed footwork and great athleticism are also big strengths.

Professional Tennis Career

Early Years (1994–1996)

Venus Williams became a professional tennis player on October 31, 1994. She was 14 years old. In her first pro 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 she ended up losing the match. This was the only tournament Venus played in 1994.

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

First Major Final (1997)

In 1997, Venus 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 Grand Slam, the French Open, and reached the second round. She then lost in the first round of Wimbledon.

At her first U.S. Open, she reached the final. She lost to Martina Hingis. In a semifinal match, Venus and Irina Spîrlea bumped into each other. Venus's father, Richard, later said this was because of racism.

First Titles and Top 10 Ranking (1998)

At the Australian Open, Venus played her sister Serena for the first time as pros. Venus won but then lost in the quarterfinals. Three weeks later, Venus beat No. 2 Lindsay Davenport. She then won her first singles title in Oklahoma City. The next week, she won a big tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida. On March 30, 1998, her ranking entered the top 10 for the first time, at No. 10.

Venus lost to Martina Hingis in the French Open quarterfinals. She also lost in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. On July 27, 1998, her ranking went up to No. 5. She reached her fifth final of the year in Stanford, California. She beat No. 6 Monica Seles but lost to No. 1 Davenport. At the U.S. Open, she reached the semifinals. This was the first year Venus reached at least the quarterfinals of all four major tournaments.

Venus won her third title of the year at the Grand Slam Cup in September. She finished 1998 ranked No. 5. In 1998, Venus 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 Serena. They were only the third pair of sisters to win a WTA doubles title.

Three Big Titles (1999)

Venus started 1999 by reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She then beat Steffi Graf for the first time in Hanover. Venus successfully defended her titles in Oklahoma City and Key Biscayne. In Key Biscayne, she beat Serena in the final. This was the first time two sisters played in a WTA Tour final.

Venus won her first title on clay courts in Hamburg. She then won the Italian Open in Rome. At the French Open, she had won 22 matches in a row. But she lost in the fourth round. Venus and Serena won the women's doubles title at this event. This was their first Grand Slam title together.

At Wimbledon, Venus reached the quarterfinals again. In the summer, she reached the final of the Stanford Classic. One week later, she beat Davenport in San Diego. In her last tournament before the U.S. Open, Venus won in New Haven. On August 30, 1999, her world ranking reached third for the first time. She lost in the U.S. Open semifinals. But she and Serena won their second Grand Slam women's doubles title there.

Venus helped the U.S. team win the Fed Cup final. She won her sixth title of the year in Zurich. She finished 1999 ranked No. 3.

Olympic Gold and First Major Wins (2000)

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

Venus then won 35 singles matches in a row and six tournaments. She won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon. She beat Martina Hingis, Serena, and Lindsay Davenport. She also won the women's doubles title with Serena. She won three more tournaments in the summer.

At the U.S. Open, Venus beat Hingis and Davenport to win the title. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she won the gold medal in singles. She also won the gold medal in women's doubles with Serena. Venus finished 2000 ranked No. 3 with six singles titles.

More Major Wins (2001)

In 2001, Venus reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. She lost to Hingis. However, she and Serena won the doubles title there. This completed a "Career Golden Slam" in women's doubles for them.

Venus won the Key Biscayne Open. She beat Hingis and Jennifer Capriati. Her ranking rose to a career high of No. 2. She successfully defended her Wimbledon title. She beat Davenport and Justine Henin.

Venus also won the tournaments in San Diego and New Haven again. She won the U.S. Open singles title for the second year in a row. She played Serena in the final. This was the first Grand Slam singles final between two sisters in the modern era. Venus won her fourth Grand Slam singles title. She also became only the sixth woman to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in a row for two years.

World No. 1 Ranking (2002)

Venus started 2002 by winning in Gold Coast. She then lost to Monica Seles at the Australian Open. Venus won two more tournaments in Paris and Antwerp. Because of her strong start, Venus 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.

Venus won the Amelia Island Championships. She became No. 1 again for three weeks. At the French Open, she reached the final for the first time. She met Serena in the final again, and Serena won. Venus became No. 1 again after this.

At Wimbledon, Venus reached the final for the third year in a row. But she lost to Serena again. This meant Serena became No. 1. The Williams sisters won the women's doubles title. This was their fifth major women's doubles title.

Venus won in San Diego and New Haven for the third year in a row. At the U.S. Open, she reached the final again. She played Serena for their third Grand Slam final in a row. Serena won again. Venus finished 2002 ranked No. 2. She won seven titles, her best year for wins.

Injuries and Tough Losses (2003–2004)

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

Venus won in Antwerp again. But soon after, she started having injuries. She reached a final in Warsaw but had to stop playing due to injury. She lost early at the French Open. At Wimbledon, Venus reached her fourth final in a row. She lost to Serena again. Wimbledon was her last event of the year due to an abdominal injury. She finished 2003 ranked No. 11.

In 2004, Venus had mixed results because of injuries. She lost early at the Australian Open. She started to play better on clay courts. She won her first title in over a year in Charleston. She also won in Warsaw. At the French Open, she lost in the quarterfinals. Despite this, she re-entered the top 10.

At Wimbledon, Venus lost in the second round in a match with a controversial call. This was her earliest exit from Wimbledon since 1997. She lost early at the Athens Olympics and the U.S. Open. She finished 2004 ranked No. 9.

Third Wimbledon Title (2005)

In 2005, Venus 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 in Istanbul. At the French Open, she lost in the third round.

Venus was seeded 14th at Wimbledon. She reached the semifinals for the first time in two years. She beat Maria Sharapova to reach the final. Playing Lindsay Davenport in the final, Venus saved a match point. She won her third Wimbledon singles title. This was her fifth Grand Slam singles title overall. It was her first since 2001. She was the first player in 70 years to win after being down match point in the Wimbledon women's final.

Venus reached her fourth final of the year in Stanford. At the U.S. Open, she beat Serena again in the fourth round. But she lost in the quarterfinals. Venus finished 2005 ranked No. 10.

Wrist Injury and Ranking Drop (2006)

In 2006, Venus lost in the first round of the Australian Open. This was her earliest loss ever there. She did not play for three months due to a wrist injury. She returned in April on clay. She reached the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Venus was the defending champion at Wimbledon. But she lost in the third round. She said her left wrist was hurting. Venus missed the U.S. Open due to the wrist injury. She reinjured her wrist in October. Venus finished 2006 ranked No. 46. This was her lowest ranking since 1997.

Fourth Wimbledon Title (2007)

Venus missed the 2007 Australian Open due to her wrist injury. She returned in February and won her first singles title since 2005 in Memphis. At the start of the clay-court season, she reached the semifinals in Charleston. She lost in the third round of the French Open. During a match, Venus hit a 206 km/h (128 mph) serve. This was one of the fastest serves ever recorded by a woman.

Venus was ranked No. 31 going into Wimbledon. She was seeded 23rd. She had some very close matches but won them. She reached her sixth Wimbledon final. She beat Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Ana Ivanovic. In the final, she beat Marion Bartoli. Venus became only the fourth woman in the modern era to win Wimbledon at least four times. She also became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon champion ever. Venus returned to the top 20 after this win.

At the U.S. Open, Venus hit a Grand Slam record 208 km/h (129 mph) serve. She reached her first Grand Slam semifinal outside of Wimbledon since 2003. She lost to Justine Henin. Her ranking went up to No. 9. Venus won her third title of the year in Seoul. She finished 2007 ranked No. 8.

Fifth Wimbledon Title and Olympic Gold (2008)

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

Venus missed two clay-court tournaments due to health problems. At the French Open, she lost in the third round. Venus 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 Grand Slam final against each other since 2003. Venus and Serena then won the women's doubles title.

Venus lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics. But she won a gold medal with Serena in women's doubles. This was their second gold medal as a team. At the U.S. Open, Venus lost a close quarterfinal match to Serena.

In October, Venus beat No. 3 Dinara Safina. She then won the Zurich Open. This was her second title of the year. It also secured her spot in the year-ending 2008 WTA Tour Championships in Doha. There, Venus won the tournament for the first time. She beat No. 1 Jelena Janković in the semifinals. She finished 2008 ranked No. 6.

Four Major Doubles Titles (2009)

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

On clay, Venus reached the semifinals in Rome. This put her in the top three for the first time since 2003. At the French Open, she lost in the third round. Venus was seeded third at Wimbledon. She reached her eighth Wimbledon final. But she lost to Serena in two sets. The Williams sisters won the doubles tournament for the fourth time.

In Stanford, Venus reached the finals but lost. She and Serena won the doubles title there.

At the U.S. Open, Venus lost in the fourth round. She and Serena won their third major doubles title of 2009 there. Venus's last tournament in 2009 was the year-ending Tour Championships. She reached the final but lost to Serena. In doubles, she and Serena lost in the semifinal.

Venus finished 2009 ranked No. 6 in singles. She was No. 3 in doubles with Serena.

No. 2 in Singles, No. 1 in Doubles (2010)

At the 2010 Australian Open, Venus lost in the quarterfinals. In doubles, she and Serena successfully defended their title. Venus then won the Mexican Open in Acapulco. This was her 43rd career title.

Her next tournament was the Miami Open. She reached her third final in a row but lost. Her knee injury made her miss some tournaments. Venus returned at the Italian Open in Rome. She lost in the quarterfinals. Despite this, her ranking improved to No. 3 on May 10.

At the Madrid Open, she lost in the final. In doubles, she and Serena won the title. On May 17, her ranking improved to No. 2. This was the fourth time the Williams sisters were the top two players.

At the French Open, Venus reached the fourth round. She and Serena won their fourth Grand Slam women's doubles title in a row. By becoming No. 1 in doubles, Venus and Serena were among only a few women to be No. 1 in both singles and doubles.

At Wimbledon, Venus reached the quarterfinals. She lost to a much lower-ranked player. She and Serena lost in the doubles quarterfinals. Venus then missed all tournaments before the U.S. Open due to a knee injury. She still played at the U.S. Open and reached the semifinals. She lost to Kim Clijsters. Venus missed the rest of 2010 due to her knee injury. She finished the year ranked fifth in singles.

Sjögren's Syndrome Diagnosis (2011)

At the 2011 Australian Open, Venus had to stop playing in her third-round match due to a hip injury. This was her first time stopping a match in a Grand Slam. This injury made her miss many tournaments. Her ranking dropped to No. 15, then to No. 29. She missed the French Open. This was the first time since 2003 that neither Williams sister played in a Grand Slam.

Venus returned in June at Eastbourne. She lost in the quarterfinals. At Wimbledon, she lost in the fourth round. Venus withdrew from the U.S. Open before her second-round match. She was diagnosed with Sjögren syndrome. This is an autoimmune disease that causes tiredness and pain in muscles and joints. This was the first year she did not reach at least the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam. Her ranking dropped to No. 105.

Venus did not play competitively for the rest of the year. She finished 2011 ranked No. 102.

Comeback and Olympic Record (2012)

Venus missed the Australian Open due to health problems. Her ranking dropped to No. 135. In February, she returned to play doubles in the Fed Cup. Venus was given special entries to play 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 another quarterfinal.

Venus was given special entries for Madrid and Rome. In Rome, she reached her third quarterfinal of the year. She lost to No. 2 Maria Sharapova. Her ranking increased to No. 52. She lost in the second round of the French Open.

At Wimbledon, Venus was not seeded for the first time since 1997. She lost in the first round. This was her first first-round loss at Wimbledon since her first time playing in 1997. Venus and Serena played doubles together. They won their fifth Wimbledon doubles title.

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

Venus played at the Cincinnati tournament. She reached the semifinals. Her ranking returned to the top 50. At the U.S. Open, she lost in the second round. Venus won her 44th career title in Luxembourg. This was her first title in over two and a half years. Her ranking rose to No. 24. She finished the year with this ranking.

Back Injury (2013)

At the 2013 Hopman Cup, Venus played for the USA team. She won all her matches. From there, Venus went to the Australian Open. She reached the third round. Her next tournament was the Brasil Tennis Cup. She reached her first semifinal of the year. This helped her ranking stay in the top 20. She had to stop playing at the Miami Open due to a lower back injury.

A week later, Venus played in Charleston. She reached the semifinals, where she lost to Serena. This was their first match since 2009. Venus won a match in the Fed Cup against Sweden. This was the first time she won the deciding match in a Fed Cup tie. Venus missed the Madrid Open and lost early in Rome. She lost in the first round of the 2013 French Open. She also pulled out of doubles with Serena. Venus missed 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 U.S. Open, she won her first-round match. But she lost in the second round. She and Serena reached the doubles semifinals. Venus reached the semifinals of the Pan Pacific Open. She lost in the second round of the China Open. Venus missed her last tournament of the year due to injury.

Ending Title Drought (2014)

Venus started 2014 in Auckland, where she was runner-up. At the Australian Open, she lost in the first round. In Doha, she lost in the second round after missing a match point. Venus then won the Dubai Tennis Championships. This was her biggest title since 2010. She became the seventh-oldest woman to win a WTA singles title. She beat Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki.

Venus lost in the third round of Wimbledon to Petra Kvitová. She was the only player to win a set against Kvitová in that tournament. Venus played at the Stanford Classic. She won her first top-10 match of the year. At the Rogers Cup, she beat No. 7 Angelique Kerber in a thrilling match. She then beat Serena Williams in the semifinals. This was her first win against Serena since 2009. She lost the final. At the U.S. Open, Venus reached the third round.

Venus played at the Bell Challenge in Quebec. She reached her fourth final of the year but lost. She lost early in Wuhan and China Open. Venus finished 2014 ranked No. 19. This was her first time in the top 20 since 2010.

Back in the Top 10 (2015)

Venus started 2015 by winning her 46th career singles title in Auckland. At the Australian Open, she reached the quarterfinals. This was her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2010. Her 16-match winning streak in Dubai ended. She reached the semifinals in Qatar. At the Miami Open, she beat Samantha Stosur and Caroline Wozniacki. She lost in the quarterfinals.

Venus lost early in Madrid and Rome. She lost in the first round of the French Open. She did not attend her press conference and was fined. At Wimbledon, she lost to Serena in the fourth round. She lost early in Istanbul and Rogers Cup.

At the U.S. Open, Venus was seeded 23rd. She won her first four matches. She played Serena in the quarterfinals. This was their 27th match overall. Venus lost in three sets.

Venus won her fifth top-10 match of the season in Wuhan. She got her 700th career win. She won her biggest title in over five years when her opponent retired in the final. The next week, she lost early in the China Open. She reached the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open. Venus qualified for the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. She won the tournament, her third title of the season. She re-entered the top ten for the first time since 2011. She finished 2015 ranked No. 7. She also won the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award.

Wimbledon Semifinal (2016)

Venus started 2016 by losing early in Auckland and the Australian Open. She helped the USA Fed Cup Team win. Venus won her 49th career title in Taiwan.

Venus returned to Indian Wells for the first time in 15 years. She lost in the second round. The next week, she lost early in Miami. She started the clay-court season in Charleston. She missed the Madrid Open due to a hamstring injury. She lost early in Rome. At the French Open, Venus reached the fourth round. She also won her first Grand Slam doubles match with Serena since 2014.

At Wimbledon, Venus reached the third round after a long match. She reached the quarterfinals for the first time in six years. In her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2010, she lost to Angelique Kerber. In doubles, Venus and Serena won their 14th major title together.

Venus started her U.S. Open Series in Stanford. She reached her eighth final there but lost. Her ranking went up to No. 6. She lost in the third round of the Rogers Cup. Venus did not win any medals in singles or doubles at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. She won a silver medal in mixed doubles. This made her the only female player to win a medal in all three events (singles, doubles, and mixed). She also shares the record for most Olympic medals in tennis.

At the U.S. Open, Venus played in her 72nd Grand Slam. This was a new record. She reached the fourth round. Venus lost early in Wuhan and China Open. She finished 2016 ranked No. 17.

Two Major Finals and Top 5 Return (2017)

Venus started 2017 in Auckland but had to stop playing due to arm pain. At the Australian Open, Venus reached the quarterfinals. This was her 50th win at the Australian Open. She reached her first Grand Slam final since 2009. She lost to Serena in the final. Venus set a record for the longest time (20 years) between Grand Slam singles final appearances.

In Indian Wells, Venus won her first match there since 2001. She reached the quarterfinals. The next week, she beat Svetlana Kuznetsova for her first top-ten win since 2015. She beat No. 1 Angelique Kerber. She was the oldest player to beat a current No. 1. She lost in the semifinals. Venus lost early in Charleston. She missed the Madrid Open due to an arm injury. She reached the quarterfinals of the Italian Open. At the French Open, Venus reached the fourth round.

Venus entered Wimbledon as the No. 10 seed. She reached the quarterfinals for the 13th time. She won her 100th career match at Wimbledon. She reached her ninth Wimbledon final. This was her 87th win at Wimbledon, third most all-time. This was also the first time since 2003 that Venus reached two Grand Slam finals in a season. Venus lost the final to Garbiñe Muguruza. She gained the No. 9 ranking.

Venus started her U.S. Open Series in Canada. She lost in the third round. The next week, she lost early in Cincinnati. At the 2017 U.S. Open, Venus 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 U.S. Open quarterfinal. She beat Petra Kvitová in a long match. She returned to the top five in the rankings. Venus lost in three sets to Sloane Stephens in the semifinals.

On September 26, Venus qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time since 2010. She lost her first match. But she beat Jeļena Ostapenko in a very long match. She beat Garbiñe Muguruza to reach the semifinals. Venus then beat Caroline Garcia to reach her first final at the year-end championships since 2009. She lost to Caroline Wozniacki in the final. She finished the year ranked No. 5 and earned the most prize money that year.

1000th Match (2018)

Venus started 2018 in Sydney, where she lost early. At the Australian Open, she lost in the first round. This ended her streak of seven Grand Slam second-week appearances. Venus played in the Fed Cup quarterfinals. She won both her singles matches. She played her 1000th career match and earned her 20th Fed Cup singles win.

At the Indian Wells Open, Venus beat Serena in the third round. This was her first straight-sets win against Serena in almost ten years. She reached the semifinals but lost. The next week at the Miami Open, Venus saved three match points. She beat the defending champion. But she lost to a lower-ranked player in the quarterfinals.

Venus lost early in Madrid and Rome. She also played doubles with Madison Keys. Venus lost in the first round of the French Open. This was her first time losing in the first round of two Grand Slams in a row. She reached the third round in doubles with Serena.

As the defending finalist at Wimbledon, Venus lost in the third round. She dropped out of the top ten rankings. Venus started her U.S. Open Series in Stanford. She reached the quarterfinals. She won her first two matches at the Rogers Cup. But she lost to the world No. 1, Simona Halep, due to a knee injury. She missed the next tournament.

At the U.S. Open, Venus reached the third round. She lost to Serena in their 30th match. Venus missed the rest of 2018 due to injury. She finished the season ranked No. 40. Venus and her long-time coach David Witt stopped working together.

Continued Challenges (2019–2022)

Venus started 2019 with an exhibition win against Serena. At the ASB Classic, she reached the quarterfinals. At the Australian Open, Venus reached the third round. She lost to Simona Halep.

At Indian Wells, Venus beat Petra Kvitová. This was her first top-five win since 2017. She reached her third straight Indian Wells quarterfinal. At the Miami Open, Venus reached the fourth round.

Venus started her clay-court season in Rome. She won a long match. Serena had to stop playing their second-round match due to injury. Venus lost in the third round. She lost in the first round of the French Open. This was her second year in a row losing early there.

Venus played a Wimbledon warm-up event. She reached the quarterfinals. This put her back in the top 50. At Wimbledon, Venus lost to 15-year-old Coco Gauff in the first round. This was one of her earliest Wimbledon exits.

In 2020, Venus missed some early tournaments. At the Australian Open, she lost to Coco Gauff again. She lost early in Mexico. After a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Venus returned to play. She lost to Serena in a close match. She lost early in Cincinnati and the U.S. Open. She also lost early in Rome and the French Open. She finished 2020 with only one win and a ranking of No. 78.

Venus started 2021 in Australia. She reached the second round of the Australian Open. After that, she had a losing streak. Her ranking dropped out of the top 100. At the French Open, she lost in the first round. She played at Wimbledon. This was her 90th Grand Slam appearance, a record. She also got her 90th match win at Wimbledon.

Venus missed the next four Grand Slam singles tournaments. She received a special entry for the 2022 U.S. Open. She lost in the first round. She also played doubles with Serena at the U.S. Open. Their first-round match was the first doubles match to be played at night on Center Court. They lost the match. With Serena's retirement, this was their last Grand Slam doubles match together. Venus later said she also retired from playing doubles.

30th Year and Ongoing Injuries (2023)

In January 2023, Venus received a special entry for the Auckland Open. She started her 30th year on the WTA Tour with a win. She won the first set in her next match but lost. Venus had to miss the Australian Open due to an injury from that match. This injury also made her miss other tournaments.

Venus received a special entry 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. It was a long, tough match against a top-50 player. But she lost in the next round. Venus continued to have injuries. She received a special entry for Wimbledon but lost in the first round. She got a serious knee injury. Venus was sad that injuries kept affecting her improving play.

Venus lost in the first round in Montreal. But she got her first top-20 win in over four years in Cincinnati. She won the first set against a rising star, but then lost the match. At the 2023 U.S. Open, Venus played her 100th career U.S. Open match. She had one of her biggest Grand Slam losses, winning only two games.

Venus ended the 2023 season ranked No. 412.

2024 Season

Even with her injuries in 2023, Venus said she planned to return in March 2024. She missed the early tournaments in Australia due to injuries. But she aimed to play in the American hard court tournaments. She lost in the first round of both Indian Wells and Miami.

Fighting for Equal Prize Money

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

A big moment was an article Venus wrote in The Times newspaper in 2006. She said Wimbledon was on the "wrong side of history." After this, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other leaders supported Venus. Later that year, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and UNESCO started a campaign for equal pay in sports. They asked Venus to lead it.

Because of a lot of pressure, Wimbledon announced in February 2007 that it would pay all players equally. The French Open did the same a day later. The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper said Venus was "the single factor" that changed their minds. Venus 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."

Venus was the first woman to benefit from this change at Wimbledon. She won the 2007 tournament and received the same prize money as the male winner, Roger Federer. Venus's fight for equality was shown in a documentary called Venus Vs. It was released in 2013.

Other Activities on Court

The "Battle of the Sexes" Match (1998)

Venus and Serena Williams played in a special 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. A journalist described him as someone whose "training regime centered around a pack of cigarettes and more than a couple bottles of ice cold lager." However, he won against both sisters. He beat Serena 6–1 and Venus 6–2.

Personal Life

In 2007, Venus earned a degree in fashion design. In 2011, she learned she had Sjögren's syndrome. This is a disease that causes tiredness and pain. After this, she changed her diet. In 2015, Venus earned a business degree from Indiana University East. She studied online while playing tennis. Venus was raised as a Jehovah's Witness.

Business Ventures

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

In 2001, Ladies Home Journal named Venus one of the 30 most powerful women in America. In 2007, Venus started her own fashion line called EleVen. She said she loved fashion and creating clothes she would wear on and off the court. Her line was shown during New York Fashion Week in 2012. Athletes modeled the clothes.

In June 2009, Forbes magazine listed Venus among the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities. In August 2009, Venus and Serena became part-owners of the Miami Dolphins football team. They were the first African-American women to own a part of an NFL team.

In June 2010, Venus released her first book, Come to Win. She wrote it with Kelly E. Carter. The book reached the top five on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Recognition and Awards

• In 2005, Tennis Magazine ranked Venus as the 25th-best player of the past 40 years.
• In 2011, Time magazine named her one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis."
• In 2018, Tennis Magazine ranked Venus as the eighth-best female player of the modern era.
• In May 2020, both the Tennis Channel and Newsday ranked Venus as the eighth-greatest female player of all time.

Equipment

In 1995, Venus 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

This table shows how Venus Williams performed in Grand Slam singles tournaments.

Grand Slam Finals

Singles: 16 (7 Wins, 9 Losses)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1997	U.S. Open	Hard	Martina Hingis	0–6, 4–6
Win	2000	Wimbledon	Grass	Lindsay Davenport	6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Win	2000	U.S. Open	Hard	Lindsay Davenport	6–4, 7–5
Win	2001	Wimbledon (2)	Grass	Justine Henin	6–1, 3–6, 6–0
Win	2001	U.S. 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	U.S. 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 Wins, 0 Losses)

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	U.S. 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	U.S. 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 Wins, 1 Loss)

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

Venus has played 14 seasons of World TeamTennis. She started in 2000. She played for the St. Louis Aces, Delaware Smash, and Philadelphia Freedoms. She played eight seasons with the Washington Kastles. She has won five King Trophies. She won her first with the Freedoms in 2006. She won four with the Kastles in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. She was named the 2012 WTT Final MVP. She was set to join the Washington Kastles for the 2020 WTT season.

Records and Achievements

• At the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Venus played in her 90th Grand Slam tournament. This is a record for any male or female player.
• She holds the record for the longest time between a player's first and most recent major singles finals appearances.
• Venus has won four Olympic gold medals (one in singles and three in women's doubles with Serena). She also has 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 only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at one Olympic Games.
• After winning silver in mixed doubles at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Venus became the first tennis player to win a medal at four Olympic Games. She was also the first player in the modern era to win an Olympic medal in all three events (singles, doubles, mixed).
• She and Serena are the only tennis players in history 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 modern era to win Olympic tennis gold in both singles and doubles.

Championship	Years	Record accomplished	Player tied
1997 French Open – 2023 U.S. 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
U.S. 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. It shows an inside look at the lives and careers of Venus and Serena Williams.
• King Richard (2021, executive producer), a movie about Venus and Serena Williams' father.

Television

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

Images for kids

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  Venus Williams' signature