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Venus Williams’ place in tennis history is already secure with the American a seven-time Grand Slam winner. Indeed, the 42-year-old is one of the most successful female players of the Open era and has enjoyed particular success at Wimbledon where only three women have won the women’s singles title more often.
However, the last few years have been difficult for Williams. She has failed to make it past the third round of a Grand Slam since 2017 when she enjoyed a career renaissance by making the final of the Australian Open and Wimbledon and the semi-finals of the US Open. She hasn’t even made it past the second round since 2018.
2020 was a particularly dismal year for Williams as she suffered first round exits at all three Grand Slam events that year (Wimbledon was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic). Williams dropped out of the top 100 in May 2021, putting her at her lowest place in the rankings for 10 years.
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Sister Serena returned to competitive tennis in 2022 after a year-out, but there are no signs Venus will follow her lead, confirming on Instagram that she will miss Wimbledon. “No I'm not playing but I'll be watching, I'll be watching Serena,” she replied when asked if she would be playing at SW19 in 2022.
Williams hasn’t set foot on a competitive tennis court since August 2021 due to a leg injury, raising questions about her future in the sport. The 42-year-old made a record-breaking 90th Grand Slam appearance at Wimbledon last year, but has struggled with a series of nagging injuries for a long time, prompting many to doubt her fitness.
Williams has won seven Grand Slam titles over the course of her long career with her latest major triumph coming at Wimbledon in 2008 when she defeated sister Serena in straight sets in the final. This was her third Wimbledon women’s singles title in four years as she underlined her status as a dominant force in the sport.
The trademark twirl ✨Our five-time champion, @Venuseswilliams, celebrates her birthday today 🎂 pic.twitter.com/8wLot2YrsO— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon)
Since then, Williams has made three Grand Slam finals (one at the Australian Open and two at Wimbledon), but lost all three, including two to sister Serena. In total, Serena and Venus have met in no fewer than nine Grand Slam finals with the latter winning twice.
Serena and Venus have met 31 times in professional tournaments with the former winning 19 times to her sister's 12. The most recent meeting between the two sisters came in 2020 at the Top Seed Open in Kentucky when Serena won in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, while their last meeting at a major came at the 2018 US Open when Serena won 6-1, 6-2.
The two sisters have met in nine different Grand Slam finals with Venus winning the first such meeting at the 2001 US Open. This was followed by an all-Williams finals at Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year in 2002 with Serena winning all three matches.
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The period between 2003 and 2006 was a difficult one for Williams as she suffered injury troubles. These problems lasted for a number of seasons with an abdominal injury stopping her from playing the second half of 2003. The American then suffered a wrist injury in early 2006 which hampered her performance at the Grand Slams that year.
Williams has also battled with the rare Sjögren’s syndrome since 2004 - an autoimmune disorder that affects over 4 million people in the USA. Symptoms are not ideal for athletes that include dry eyes and dry mouth, as well as fatigue, body aches, and serious muscle injuries.
According to website Celebrity Net Worth, Williams is worth $95 million (£77.8m).
She reportedly makes between $5m (£4.09m) and $10m (£8.19m) per year from endorsements as she has partnered with the likes of Wilson, Tide, Kraft, Electronic Arts, and Ralph Lauren.
Williams also founded EleVen, the lifestyle brand that provides fashion-forward tennis and everyday looks for on and off the court.
As per the official WTA website, the American has also made an incredible $42,280,541 (£34,623,667) in career prize money following her success on the court.
