Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player. A former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, Williams is widely regarded as one of the all-time greats of women’s tennis. She is credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women’s professional tennis tour.
Williams has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women’s Tennis Association for 19 weeks (11 in singles and 8 in doubles). She first reached the No. 1 ranking in singles on February 25, 2002, becoming the first African American woman to do so in the Open Era and the second all time since Althea Gibson.
She became the World No. 1 in doubles for the first time on June 7, 2010, alongside Serena, after the pair won their fourth consecutive Grand Slam Boubles Crown. Williams’s seven Grand Slam singles titles are tied for 12th on the all-time list and 8th on the Open Era list, more than any other active female player except her sister.
She has reached 16 Grand Slam finals, most recently at Wimbledon in 2017. Her five Wimbledon singles titles tie her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list. She is No. 4 on the Open Era List, behind the nine titles of Martina Navratilova and the seven of Serena Williams and Steffi Graf.
From the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2001 US Open, Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments.
At the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Williams extended her record as the all-time leader, male or female, in Grand Slams. With her run to the 2017 Wimbledon singles final, she broke the record for the longest time between first and most recent grand slam singles finals appearances.
Season prize money leader
Williams was twice the season prize money leader in 2001 and 2017 and currently ranks second behind Serena in career prize money earned going over $41.8 million. She has also won 14 Grand Slam Women’s doubles titles, all with Serena Williams; the pair is unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals. Williams also has two Mixed Doubles titles.
Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in singles and three in women’s doubles with her sister, along with a silver medal in mixed doubles, tying her with Kathleen McKane Godfree for the most Olympic medals won by a male or female tennis player in history.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at a single Olympic Games. After winning silver in mixed doubles with Rajeev Ram at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Williams became the first tennis player to win a medal at four Olympic Games, as well as the first player in the Open Era to win an Olympic medal in all three events (singles, doubles, mixed).
Her talents were apparent at the age of seven when a professional local tennis player named Tony Chesta spotted Williams and quickly identified her potential in the sport.
Aggressive player
Williams is an aggressive player, with an all-court game. Due to her assertive playing style, she typically accumulates large numbers of both winners and unforced errors. She possesses powerful ground strokes on both sides and is capable of hitting both her forehand and backhand flat and with topspin.
She is also adept at hitting her backhand with slice, to slow down rallies and disrupt pace within rallies. Her serve is powerful, allowing her to serve numerous aces in any match. At the peak of her career, her first serve would average 113 mph (182 km/h) and would frequently peak at 124 mph (199 km/h); her serve has slowed since then, averaging 107 mph (172 km/h), and peaking at 117 mph (189 km/h).
She possesses effective kick and slice serves, which she deploys as second serves, preventing opponents from scoring free points. Up to 2014, Williams held the record for the fastest serve on the WTA Tour, recorded at the 2007 US Open, at 129 mph (208 km/h).
Williams likes to approach the net and finish points quickly. Her height, at 1.85m, provides her with a long arm span, allowing her to reach any ball while positioned at the net. She has a complete repertoire of shots to perform at the net, allowing her to hit deft volleys with ease.
All court-game
Due to her all-court game, Williams was able to hit winners from any position on the court. While being an exceptional tactical player who possesses remarkable problem-solving skills, Williams also plays with sheer power and aggression. Williams relies on defence infrequently, rarely hitting drop shots and lobs, as her exceptional speed and court coverage allow her to hit with assertive power and strength from frequently defensive positions.
Further strengths include her detailed and intricate footwork, and supreme athleticism. Williams has been noted for her elegant style of play and she prefers to play on fast grass, hard, and carpet courts. (TBR)