From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) on three separate occasions; as of February 1, 2010, she is ranked World No. 5. She is the reigning Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open doubles champion and has won 20 Grand Slam titles: seven in women's singles, eleven in women's doubles and two in mixed doubles. In addition, she has won three Olympic gold medals, one in women's singles and two in women's doubles.
Gold medal (2000)Williams reached the US Open finals at the age of 17, becoming the first woman since 1978 to reach a US Open final on her début and was the first unseeded female US Open finalist since 1958. After her breakthrough, Williams breached the top ten on the WTA world rankings for the first time in 1998 when she won the Lipton Championships in Miami. Between 2000 and 2001, Williams won four of the six Grand Slam tournaments she entered. Her 35-match winning streak remains the longest of the millennium. She became the World No. 1 for the first time in February 2002.
Williams suffered an abdominal injury in mid-2003 which prevented her from playing. Upon her return in 2004, she experienced inconsistent results. In 2005, she won her first Grand Slam title in four years at Wimbledon, but since then she suffered from a wrist injury and only played six events in 2006. Her world rankings suffered as a result, being World No. 54 in February 2006. However, Williams eventually won another Grand Slam title at the Wimbledon in 2007, becoming the lowest-seeded and lowest-ranked Wimbledon champion in history. Williams returned to the top ten later that year and has since competed in every Grand Slam event. She returned to the top three for the first time in six years in May 2009.
Williams is the elder sister of the current World No.1 tennis player, Serena Williams. The sisters have played each other in 21 professional matches dating back to 1998, with Venus winning 10 matches played between them as of July 2009. Their meeting in the final of the 2001 US Open was the first Grand Slam final contested by two sisters in the open era. As of July 2009, they have met in eight Grand Slam finals, with Venus winning two of those. Between the 2002 French Open and the 2003 Australian Open, the sisters met in all four Grand Slam finals, the first time in the open era that the same two players had contested four consecutive Grand Slam finals.
Playing style
Williams is one of the most powerful baseliners on tour, equipped with an attacking all-court game. Her game is very well adapted to grass where she feels most comfortable, which is reflected in her five Wimbledon singles titles. Across her career, she has developed into a skillful volleyer and effectively utilizes her long 'wingspan' (1.85m) and agility around the net.She stated during an interview at the 2008 Australian Open that she was working to improve her volley. Williams also has great court coverage using her long reach to play balls that most players would not be able to reach and is capable of hitting outright winners from a defensive position.
She holds the record for the fastest serve struck by a woman in a main draw event. At the Zurich Open, she recorded 130 mph (210 km/h). She also holds the record for fastest serve in all four Grand Slam tournaments: 2003 Australian Open quarterfinal - 125 mph (201 km/h), 2007 French Open second round, 2008 Wimbledon final, 2007 US Open first round - 129 mph.[6] At Wimbledon in 2008, her average first serve speed was 115 mph (185 km/h) in the quarterfinal, 116 mph (187 km/h) in the semifinal, and 111 mph (179 km/h) in the final. She also has a higher average serving speed than World No.1 Roger Federer as well as eventual men's champion Rafael Nadal.
Williams has always been a explosive hitter of the ball off the ground, but her backhand is the more consistently reliable of her groundstrokes. Her backhand is equally effective down-the-line or crosscourt (frequently for a set-up approach shot). Her forehand occasionally breaks down under pressure. However, it is still the more powerful of her groundstrokes and yields many winners, from a variety of court positions. Additionally, it is one the most powerful forehands in the women's game, frequently struck in the 85 - 90 mph (140 km/h) range. In the 2008 Wimbledon women's final, Venus struck a forehand winner measured at 94 mph (IBM/Wimbledon). Only a few women (notably Ivanović, Serena Williams, and Justine Henin) hit to these speeds off the ground.
Williams' best surface is grass: she has won Wimbledon five times and has reached the finals in eight of the last ten years. The low bounces that grass produces tend to make her first serve an even more powerful weapon. Her movement on grass is also among the best on the WTA tour. Clay is Williams's weakest surface: her movement is suspect and her powerful serve and groundstrokes are less effective. Still, she has won numerous titles on clay.
[edit] Professional career
Main article: Venus Williams career biography
Venus Williams is an internationally acclaimed grass court tennis player. She has won five Wimbledon crowns in her career and seven slams (singles) overall with her two US Open victories. Williams has a storied rivalry with her younger sister Serena Williams who leads head-to-head.[edit] 1994–96: Professional Debut
Already well-known in tennis circles at age 14, Williams turned professional on October 31, 1994. In her first professional tournament, the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, Williams won her first-round match. In the second round, Williams was up a set and a service break against World No. 2 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario before losing the match. This was the only tournament Williams played in 1994.In 1995, Williams played three more events as a wild card, falling in the first round of the tournament in Los Angeles and the tournament in Toronto but reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament in Oakland, defeating World No. 18 Amy Frazier in the second round for her first win over a top 20 ranked player before losing to Magdalena Maleeva.
Williams played five events in 1996, falling in the first round four times but reaching the third round in Los Angeles, losing to World No. 1 Steffi Graf 6–4, 6–4.
[edit] 1997–99: Early Success
Williams began to play regularly on the WTA tour in 1997. At the Tier I State Farm Evert Cup in Indian Wells, California in March, Williams defeated World No. 9 Iva Majoli in the fourth round for her first win over a player ranked in the top 10. She then lost in the quarterfinals to Lindsay Davenport on a third set tiebreak. She breached the top 100 on the world rankings shortly after this. She made her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam at the French Open, reaching the second round before losing to Nathalie Tauziat. She then lost in the first round of Wimbledon to Magdalena Grzybowska after winning the first set.Aged 17 and as the World No. 66, Williams's breakthrough came at the US Open, where she made her first semifinal at any level, having defeated eighth seed Anke Huber en route. In the semifinals, she defeated 11th seed Irina Spirlea. During this match, Williams and Spirlea collided during a changeover, with Williams's father Richard claiming the incident was racially motivated.[7] In the final, Williams lost to World No. 1 Martina Hingis. The remainder of Williams's year was highlighted by making the quarterfinals of two Tier I events, losing at that stage to Davenport at the Zurich Open and to Jana Novotna at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. Williams finished the year ranked World No. 22.
Williams started the year at the Medibank International Sydney, where she defeated World No. 1 Hingis for the first time in the second round. Williams went on to make the second final of her career at the event, where she lost to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. This run allowed Williams to break into the top 20 on the world rankings for the first time. On her debut at the Australian Open, Williams defeated younger sister Serena in the second round, in the sisters' first professional meeting. Venus went on to make the quarterfinals of the tournament, where she lost to second seed Davenport.
However, several weeks later, Williams defeated Davenport for the first time in the semifinals of the IGA Tennis Classic in Oklahoma City. Williams then defeated Joannette Kruger in the final to win the first title of her career. Williams won the second title of her career at the prestigious Lipton International Players Championships in Miami, defeating Hingis for a second time in the semifinals and Anna Kournikova in the final. Following this, Williams reached the top ten for the first time. In May, Williams made her first final outside of hard courts at the clay-court Italian Open in Rome, defeating sister Serena in the quarterfinals and Sanchez-Vicario in the semifinals before losing to Hingis in the final. Williams lost again to Hingis in the quarterfinals of the French Open.
Williams made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before losing to eventual champion Jana Novotna. This run saw Williams breach the top five on the world rankings. She reached her fifth final of the year at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, defeating former World No. 1 Monica Seles in the semifinals before losing to Davenport. At the US Open, Williams defeated fourth seed Sanchez-Vicario in the quarterfinals before losing to second seed and eventual champion Davenport in the semifinals. Williams won her third title of the year at the Grand Slam Cup in Munich in September, defeating Patty Schnyder in the final. Her final big result of the year was a run to the final of the Tier I event in Zurich, losing there to Davenport. She had earned enough points during the year to participate in the year-ending Chase Championships. However, she withdrew from the tournament due to tendinitis in her knee and finished the year ranked World No. 5.
Meanwhile, Williams won the mixed doubles titles at both the Australian Open and French Open with Justin Gimelstob. This completed the Williams sisters' sweep of the Grand Slam mixed doubles titles during the year, as Serena won at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Venus and Serena teamed up to win the women's doubles title in Oklahoma City, becoming the third pair of sisters to win a doubles title. They won another title together later in the year in Zurich.
Williams began 1999 by losing in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open to top seed Davenport in straight sets. However, she rebounded at the Faber Grand Prix in Hanover, defeating 22-times Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf for the first time in the semifinals before losing in the final to Novotna. Williams then defended her titles in both Oklahoma City and Miami. In Oklahoma City, Williams defeated Amanda Coetzer in the final, and in Miami, she defeated Novotna and Graf in order to reach the final, where she defeated Serena in three sets in the first final on the WTA Tour to be contested by two sisters.
Williams won her first title on clay in April at the Betty Barclay Cup, defeating Mary Pierce in the final. Williams then went on to win another clay-court title at the Tier I Italian Open, defeating World No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals and Pierce in the final. She then reached the fourth round at the French Open to extend her winning streak to 22 matches, but she then lost to World No. 125 Barbara Schwartz. Williams teamed up with Serena to win the women's doubles title at this event, the first Grand Slam title the pair had won together.
At Wimbledon, Williams defeated Kournikova in the fourth round to reach the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, but then lost to eventual runner-up Graf. Williams rebounded in the summer to reach the final in Stanford, but lost there to World No. 1 Davenport. A fortnight later, however, Williams defeated Davenport in the semifinals of the TIG Tennis Classic in San Diego, before losing to Hingis in the final. However, Williams did win Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, Connecticut, defeating Seles in the semifinals and Davenport in the final. Following this, she entered the top three on the world rankings for the first time.
Seeded third at the US Open, Williams lost in the semifinals to top seed Hingis in three sets. However, she teamed up with singles champion Serena to win their second Grand Slam women's doubles title at the event. Venus then contributed to the USA's victory over Russia in the Fed Cup final, defeating Elena Likhovtseva in a singles rubber before joining Serena to win the doubles rubber. At the Grand Slam Cup, Venus defeated Hingis in the semifinals before losing to Serena for the first time in the final. Venus won her sixth title of the year at the Tier I event in Zurich, defeating World No. 1 Hingis in the final. Making her debut at the year-ending championships, however, Williams lost to Hingis in the semifinals. She finished the year ranked World No. 3.
[edit] 2000–02: Prime Time
In 2000, Williams missed the first four months of the year with tendinitis in both wrists. She returned during the clay-court season, but failed to make a major impact at either of the French Open warm-ups she played, going into the French Open itself having won just two of four matches. There, she lost in the quarterfinals to eighth seed and former champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.Williams was seeded fifth at Wimbledon. She made the quarterfinals for the third consecutive year, where she defeated top seed Martina Hingis. Williams then defeated sister Serena to reach the second Grand Slam final of her career. There, she defeated second seed and defending champion Lindsay Davenport to win the first Grand Slam singles title of her career. She also teamed up with Serena to win the women's doubles title at the event.
Williams continued her success during the North American hard court season. At the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, Williams defeated Anna Kournikova in the semifinals and Davenport in the final. She defeated former World No. 1 Monica Seles in order to win both the Acura Classic in San Diego and Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, Connecticut. She went into the US Open as a strong favorite. There, she defeated top seed Hingis in the semifinals and second seed Davenport in the final to win the second Grand Slam title of her career.
Williams's success continued as she picked up the gold medal for singles at the Sydney Olympics in September, defeating Seles in the semifinals and Elena Dementieva in the final. This marked her sixth consecutive tournament victory. In addition, Williams joined Serena to win the gold medal for women's doubles at the event. Venus went on to make the final at the Generali Ladies Linz in Linz, Austria to extend her winning streak to 35 matches. However, she then finally lost to Davenport. Williams then missed the year-ending Chase Championships due to anemia. She finished the season as World No. 3 and with six titles.
At the start of 2001, Williams reached the semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time, but lost to top seed Hingis. However, Venus teamed up with Serena to win the doubles title at the event, completing a Career Grand Slam in women's doubles for the pair. In March, Venus reached the semifinals of the Tier I Tennis Masters Series tournament in Indian Wells, California where she was due to play Serena, but she withdrew just before the match. Venus claimed that tendinitis in her knee prevented her from playing, but the withdrawal was very controversial, fuelling speculation that matches between the Williams sisters were fixed. The following day, when Serena was playing Kim Clijsters in the final, Venus and her father Richard were booed as they made their way to their seats.[8] Serena was subsequently booed during the championship match against Kim Clijsters and during the trophy presentation. Neither Williams sister has played this tournament since, in what has been termed the most famous boycott in modern tennis.[9]
Williams rebounded from the Indian Wells controversy to win the Tier I Ericsson Open in Miami for the third time, defeating World No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals and Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati in the final, after saving eight championship points. Williams rose to a new peak of World No. 2 on the rankings as a result of this victory. On clay, Williams won the Betty Barclay Cup in Hamburg, defeating Meghann Shaughnessy in the final. However, she lost surprisingly in the first round of the French Open to Barbara Schett in straight sets, marking only the second time in her career that she had lost in the first round of a Grand Slam.
Williams rebounded at Wimbledon, defending her title after defeating third seed Davenport in the semifinals and eighth seed Justine Henin in the final. She went on to retain her titles in San Diego and New Haven, defeating Davenport and Seles to win the former, and Capriati and Davenport to win the latter. Seeded fourth at the US Open, Williams defeated second seed Capriati in the semifinals. She faced Serena in the final in the first Grand Slam final to be contested by two sisters in the open era. Venus won to win her fourth Grand Slam singles title. She was only the sixth woman in history to win the singles titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive years, the others being Martina Navrátilová (twice), Steffi Graf (twice), Althea Gibson, Maureen Connolly Brinker, and Helen Wills Moody (twice). Williams did not play again during 2001.
Williams began 2002 by winning the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia, defeating Henin in the final. However, she then lost for the first time in her career to Seles in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Williams then went on to win the Open Gaz de France in Paris when Jelena Dokic withdrew from the final, and the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium, defeating Henin in the final. As a result of her strong start to the season, Williams assumed the World No. 1 position for the first time on February 25, dislodging Capriati. Williams was the first African-American woman ever to hold the ranking. She held it for just three weeks before surrendering it back to Capriati.
Williams failed to defend her title in Miami after losing in the semifinals to Serena. However, she made a strong start to the clay-court season, winning the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida, defeating Henin in the final. A week after winning that tournament, she once again replaced Capriati as the World No. 1, before losing it again to Capriati after three weeks. During those three weeks, Williams had made the final in Hamburg, defeating Hingis in the semifinals before losing to Clijsters in the final. Seeded second at the French Open, Williams defeated former champion Seles to reach the semifinals for the first time. There, she defeated Clarisa Fernandez. In the final, Williams met Serena for a second time in a Grand Slam final, with Serena winning. Venus once again replaced Capriati as the World No. 1 as a result of reaching the final.
As the top seed at Wimbledon, Williams defeated Henin in the semifinals to make the final for the third consecutive year. However, there, she lost to Serena. This result meant Serena replaced Venus as the World No. 1. The Williams sisters teamed up to win the women's doubles title at the event, their fifth Grand Slam women's doubles title together.
Williams won the titles in San Diego and New Haven for the third consecutive year, defeating Davenport and Dokic to win the former and defeating Davenport in the final of the latter. At the US Open, Williams defeated Seles in the quarterfinals and Amelie Mauresmo in three sets to make the final. Playing Serena for their third consecutive Grand Slam final, Serena won once again. After that, Venus played just four more matches during the season. She reached the semifinals at the year-ending Sanex Championships after defeating Seles in the quarterfinals, but she then was forced to retire against Clijsters due to injury. Williams finished the year ranked World No. 2 having won seven titles, her best showing in both respects of her career.
[edit] 2003–06: Injuries and Losses
Williams started 2003 by defeating fifth seed Justine Henin to make the final of the Australian Open for the first time. In the final, however, she lost to sister Serena. This marked the first time in the open era that the same two players had met in four consecutive Grand Slam finals. Venus and Serena teamed up to win the women's doubles title at the event, their sixth Grand Slam title in women's doubles.In February, Williams won the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium for the second consecutive year, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final. However, shortly afterwards, she began to struggle with injury. She reached the final of the clay-court J&S Cup in Warsaw before being forced to retire against Amelie Mauresmo. She then suffered her earliest exit at a Grand Slam in two years when she lost in the fourth round of the French Open to Vera Zvonareva.
At Wimbledon, Williams was seeded fourth. In the tournament, Williams defeated former champion Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals and Kim Clijsters in the semifnials. She advanced to her fourth consecutive Wimbledon final, where she lost again to sister Serena.
Wimbledon was Williams's last event of the year as an abdominal injury that occured during the Clijsters match prevented her from playing again. While she was recovering from the injury, her sister Yetunde Price was murdered.[10] Yetunde was said to be close to both Venus and Serena, and her death is often cited as a reason for the Williams sisters' erratic form in the years that followed. Williams finished the year as World No. 11 due to her inactivity for much of the year. It was the first time in nearly six years that she had dropped out of the top ten.
In 2004, Williams came back to the tour and experienced inconsistent results. As the third seeded player because of a protected ranking, she reached the third round of the Australian Open, where she lost to Lisa Raymond. She then lost in the quarterfinals of her next three tournaments.
Williams began to find her form at the beginning of the clay-court season. At the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, Williams defeated Conchita Martinez in the final to win her first title in over a year and the second Tier I title on clay of her career. She then went on to win in Warsaw, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final, before reaching the final of the Tier I German Open in Berlin, before withdrawing from that match against Mauresmo due to injury. Going into the French Open, Williams had the best clay court record among the women and was among the favorites to win the title; however, after making the quarterfinals to extend her winning streak on the surface to 19 matches, she lost to eventual champion Anastasia Myskina. Despite her defeat, she re-entered the top ten.
At Wimbledon, Williams lost a controversial fourth round match to Croatian Karolina Šprem. The umpire of the match, Ted Watts, awarded Šprem an unearned point in the second set tiebreak. Upon the conclusion of the match, he was relieved of his duties.[11] This defeat marked the first time since 1997 that Williams had exited Wimbledon prior to the quarterfinals. After Wimbledon, Williams reached her fourth final of the year at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, where she suffered her first defeat to Lindsay Davenport since 2000.
As the defending champion at the Athens Olympics, Williams lost in the third round to Mary Pierce. She then lost in the fourth round of the US Open to Davenport, the first time she had ever lost at the US Open prior to the semifinals. Williams completed the year by losing in the quarterfinals of three indoor tournaments in the fall, a period that included defeat in her first meeting with 17-year-old Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova at the Zurich Open. Williams finished the year as World No. 9, meaning she did not qualify for the eight-woman year-ending WTA Tour Championships.
In 2005, Williams started the year by losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Alicia Molik. She then reached the final in Antwerp, defeating Clijsters and Myskina en route. In the final, Williams was a set and a service break up against Mauresmo before eventually losing.
In March, at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Williams defeated sister and Australian Open champion Serena in the quarterfinals, the first time she had defeated Serena since 2001. Venus went on to lose in the semifinals to World No. 3 Sharapova. In May, Williams won her first title in over a year at the clay-court Istanbul Cup, defeating Nicole Vaidišová in the final. However, at the French Open, she lost in the third round to 15-year old Sesil Karatantcheva.
Williams was seeded 14th at Wimbledon. In the quarterfinals of the tournament, she defeated French Open runner-up Pierce to make the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in two years. There, she defeated defending champion and second-seeded Maria Sharapova to make the Wimbledon final for the fifth time in six years. Playing top-seeded Davenport in the final, Williams saved a match point en route to winning. This was Williams's third Wimbledon singles title, her fifth Grand Slam singles title overall and her first since 2001. It was the first time in 70 years that a player had won after being down match point during the women's final at Wimbledon.[citation needed] In addition, Williams was the lowest-ranked (World No. 16) and lowest-seeded (14th) champion in tournament history.[citation needed] Williams returned to the top ten following the victory.
Following Wimbledon, Williams reached her fourth final of the year in Stanford, where she lost to Clijsters. At the US Open, Williams achieved her second consecutive win over Serena in the fourth round, but then lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Kim Clijsters. Williams did not qualify for the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships because of an injury sustained during the tournament in Beijing. She finished the year ranked World No. 10.
Williams was the defending champion and one of the favorites to win the singles title at Wimbledon. However, she lost lost in the third round to 26th-seeded Jelena Janković. After the loss, Williams said that she was having pain in her left wrist, although she admitted that the injury was not the cause of her loss. Williams did not play in the US Open series or the US Open itself due to the wrist injury. During her first tournament in almost three months in October, she reinjured her wrist at the tournament in Luxembourg and lost in the second round to qualifier Agnieszka Radwańska. Williams finished the season as World No. 46, her lowest finish since she began to play on the WTA Tour full-time in 1997.
[edit] 2007–09: Return to Form
Williams withdrew from the 2007 Australian Open, the second consecutive Grand Slam that she had missed due to her recurring wrist injury. She returned in February at the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, USA, defeating top-seeded Shahar Pe'er in the final, her first singles title since her victory at Wimbledon in 2005.At the beginning of the clay-court season, Williams reached the semifinals of the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, where she lost to Jelena Jankovic on a third set tiebreak. She also lost to fourth seed Jankovic in the third round of the French Open, her third consecutive loss to Jankovic. During her second round win over Ashley Harkleroad, Williams hit a 206 km/h (128.8 mph) serve, which is the second fastest woman's serve ever recorded and the fastest ever recorded during a main draw match.
Williams was ranked World No. 31 going into Wimbledon and was seeded 23rd at the tournament. Williams was a game away from defeat in both her first round match against Alla Kudryavtseva and in her third round match against Akiko Morigami, but eventually won both 7–5 in the third set. She then advanced to reach her sixth Wimbledon final, where she defeated 18th seed Marion Bartoli. Williams thus became only the fourth woman in the open era to win Wimbledon at least four times, along with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf. She also became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon champion in history, breaking the record she herself set in 2005. Williams returned to the top 20 as a result of the win.[12]
At the US Open, after setting a Grand-Slam record 129 mph (208 km/h) serve in the opening round,[13] Williams advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal outside of Wimbledon since 2003. However she then lost to eventual champion Justine Henin. The tournament resulted in Williams's ranking moving up to World No. 9. Williams then won her third title of the year at the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul, South Korea, defeating Maria Kirilenko in the final, before then losing in the final of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo to Virginie Razzano. Williams had earned enough points during the year to qualify for the year-ending WTA Tour Championships in Madrid; however, she withdrew because of continuing problems with anemia.[14] Williams finished the year as World No. 8 with three titles, her best performance in both respects since 2002.
Venus Williams serving to Ivanović in their semifinal match at the Zurich Open
Williams missed two tournaments at the beginning of the clay-court season due to undisclosed medical problems.[15] At the French Open, Williams was seeded eighth but was eliminated by 26th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta in the third round.
Williams was the defending champion and seventh-seeded player at Wimbledon. Without dropping a set, she reached her seventh Wimbledon singles final. She then won her fifth Wimbledon singles title, and seventh Grand Slam singles title overall, by beating sister Serena in straight sets. This was the first time since 2003 that Venus and Serena had played each other in a Grand Slam final and was the first time since 2001 that Venus had defeated her in a Grand Slam final. Venus and Serena then teamed to win the women's doubles title, their first Grand Slam doubles title together since 2003.
Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics to Li Na. She did, however, earn a gold medal along with Serena in women's doubles, their second gold medal as a team, having won together at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. At the US Open, Williams made it to the quarterfinals, before losing to eventual champion Serena.
Venus Williams at the 2008 WTA Tour Championships
As the sixth seed at the 2009 Australian Open, Williams lost in the second round to Carla Suarez Navarro after holding a match point in the third set. However, she teamed up with Serena to win the women's doubles title at the event, their eighth Grand Slam doubles title together. Venus rebounded in singles play in February at the Premier 5 (formerly Tier I) Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating defending champion and World No. 4 Dementieva in the quarterfinals and World No. 1 Serena in the semifinals on a third set tiebreak. The latter win meant that Venus led the head-to-head in career matches with her sister for the first time since 2002. Venus went on to defeat Virginie Razzano in the final. This win meant Williams was ranked in the top five for the first time since 2003, while it also marked her 40th professional singles title, only the twelfth player in the open era to achieve the feat.[16] Williams won another title the following week at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico, defeating Pennetta in the final. This was her first title on clay since 2005.
On European clay, Williams reached the semifinals in Rome before losing to World No. 1 Safina. This run meant Williams was ranked in the top three for the first time since 2003. Seeded third at the French Open, Williams lost to Agnes Szavay in the third round, the third consecutive year she had exited at that stage.[17]
Williams was seeded third at Wimbledon. She advanced to her eighth Wimbledon final but lost to sister Serena. The Williams sisters teamed up to win the doubles title at the tournament for the fourth time.
In Stanford, Williams defeated Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva to advance to the finals, where she would lose to Marion Bartoli. Teaming with her sister, she played doubles and won the title, defeating Monica Niculescu and Yung-Jan Chan.
At the 2009 US Open, as the third seed, Venus made it to the fourth round before losing to Kim Clijsters. Venus then teamed up with Serena to play doubles at the open, where they won the title over defending champions and world No.1s in doubles, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, claiming their third grand slam doubles title in 2009.
Venus' last tournament in 2009 was the 2009 WTA Tour Championships, the year-end championships, where she was the defending champion in singles. She was in the maroon group which includes her sister Serena, along with Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova. She lost her first match against Dementieva, and her second match against Serena. In her third and final RR match, Williams defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova. Because of Dementieva's lost to Kuznetsova in their round robin match, Venus advanced to the semifinal of the championships. In her semifinal match, she defeated Jelena Jankovic of Serbia to advance to her second consecutive final in the tournament. In the final, she was defeated by her sister Serena. In doubles, Venus teamed with Serena as the second seed. However, they lost to Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the semifinal. Their doubles record at the end of the year stood at 24-2.
Venus finished 2009 ranked world number 6 in singles and world number 3 in doubles with Serena, in spite of playing only 6 events together in 2009.
[edit] 2010
Venus started the year losing to Maria Sharapova in straight sets in an exhibition match. As the defending champion, Venus played the Hong Kong Tennis Classic 2010. As a member of Team Americas with Gisela Dulko and Michael Chang, they won the Silver Group Final. Venus won both singles rubbers in the tournament against Caroline Wozniacki and Jie Zheng.Venus play at the 2010 Australian Open as the sixth seed. She defeated Lucie Safarova 6-2, 6-2 in the first round, Sybille Bammer 6-2, 7-5 in the second round and Casey Dellacqua 6-1, 7-6(4) in the third round. She faced #17 Francesca Schiavone in the fourth round defeating her in an almost two hour match 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals. She was two points away from the semifinals up 6-2, 5-3 , before falling to 16th seed Li Na in the quarterfinals in 3 sets (6-2, 6-7, 5-7).
In doubles, she teamed up with her sister Serena dropping one set en route to the final advancing to the final for the second consecutive year and the fourth of their careers. They defend their title, defeating world #1 in doubles Cara Black and Liezel Huber in a straight sets victory, 6-4, 6-3. The Williams sisters are undefeated in grand slam doubles finals and are 4–0 in the Australian Open doubles finals.
[edit] Rivalry with Serena Williams
Main article: Williams Sisters rivalry
In professional women's tennis, Venus has played her sister Serena 23 times, accumulating a 10-13 record in the series. They are the only women during the open era to have played each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals. They have met in a total of eight Grand Slam finals, ahead of the number of finals played by Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and by Helen Wills Moody and Helen Jacobs but behind the record of fourteen finals set by Chris Evert and Martina Navrátilová.[18][edit] Fight for equal prize money
Despite years of protesting by tennis pioneer Billie Jean King and others, in 2005 the French Open and Wimbledon still refused to pay women's and men's players equally through all rounds. In 2005, Williams met with officials from both tournaments, arguing that female tennis players should be paid as much as males.[19] Although WTA tour President Larry Scott commented that she left "a very meaningful impression", Williams's demands were rejected.The turning point was an essay published in the The Times on the eve of Wimbledon in 2006. In it, Williams accused Wimbledon of being on the "wrong side of history", writing:
| “ | I feel so strongly that Wimbledon's stance devalues the principle of meritocracy and diminishes the years of hard work that women on the tour have put into becoming professional tennis players. I believe that athletes — especially female athletes in the world's leading sport for women — should serve as role models. The message I like to convey to women and girls across the globe is that there is no glass ceiling. My fear is that Wimbledon is loudly and clearly sending the opposite message.... Wimbledon has argued that women's tennis is worth less for a variety of reasons; it says, for example, that because men play a best of five sets game they work harder for their prize money. This argument just doesn’t make sense; first of all, women players would be happy to play five sets matches in grand slam tournaments.... Secondly, tennis is unique in the world of professional sports. No other sport has men and women competing for a grand slam championship on the same stage, at the same time. So in the eyes of the general public the men's and women's games have the same value. Third, ... we enjoy huge and equal celebrity and are paid for the value we deliver to broadcasters and spectators, not the amount of time we spend on the stage. And, for the record, the ladies’ final at Wimbledon in 2005 lasted 45 minutes longer than the men's.... Wimbledon has justified treating women as second class because we do more for the tournament. The argument goes that the top women — who are more likely also to play doubles matches than their male peers — earn more than the top men if you count singles, doubles and mixed doubles prize money. So the more we support the tournament, the more unequally we should be treated! But doubles and mixed doubles are separate events from the singles competition. Is Wimbledon suggesting that, if the top women withdrew from the doubles events, that then we would deserve equal prize money in singles? And how then does the All England Club explain why the pot of women's doubles prize money is nearly £130,000 smaller than the men's doubles prize money? I intend to keep doing everything I can until Billie Jean's original dream of equality is made real. It's a shame that the name of the greatest tournament in tennis, an event that should be a positive symbol for the sport, is tarnished.[19] | ” |
Venus herself became the first woman to benefit from the equalization of prize money at Wimbledon, as she won the 2007 tournament and was awarded the same amount as the male winner Roger Federer.
[edit] Personal life
Venus for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's "National Wear Red Day"
Williams's longtime boyfriend, pro golfer Hank Kuehne, has been a visible presence since Wimbledon 2007, holding her hand during long rain delays and clapping support from the players' box along with her parents and younger sister Serena. "He's a great guy", Williams said. "He understands competition. He's very supportive. I love having him here and everyone else in the box, too."[26]
In 2003, Venus and Serena Williams's older sister Yetunde Price, 31, was shot dead near the courts on which the sisters once practiced. Price was the Williams sisters' personal assistant. The Williams family issued this statement shortly after the death: "We are extremely shocked, saddened and devastated by the shooting death of our beloved Yetunde. She was our nucleus and our rock. She was a personal assistant, confidante, and adviser to her sisters, and her death leaves a void that can never be filled. Our grief is overwhelming, and this is the saddest day of our lives."[27]
Williams said her family's faith as Jehovah's Witnesses has helped her tremendously.[28]
[edit] Entrepreneur
Williams is the chief executive officer of her interior design firm "V Starr Interiors" located in Jupiter, Florida. Williams's company designed the set of the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS, the Olympic athletes' apartments as part of the U.S. bid package for New York City to host the 2012 Olympic Games, and residences and businesses in the Palm Beach, Florida area.[29]In 2007, Williams teamed with retailer Steve & Barry's to launch her own fashion line EleVen. "I love fashion and the idea that I am using my design education to actually create clothing and footwear that I will wear on and off the tennis court is a dream come true for me. The vision has been to create a collection that will allow women to enjoy an active lifestyle while remaining fashionable at the same time. I'm thrilled with everything we've created to launch EleVen."[30][31]
In 2001, Williams was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by the Ladies Home Journal.[32]
In June 2009, Venus was named 77th in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities compiled by Forbes magazine.[33]
[edit] Recognition
In 2005 Tennis Magazine ranked her as the 25th-best player in 40 years.[34] Since this ranking however, she has won an additional three Grand Slam singles titles.[edit] Career statistics
Main article: Venus Williams career statistics
[edit] Records and achievements
- These records were attained in Open Era of tennis.
| Tournament Name | Years | Record accomplished | Player tied |
| Sony Ericsson Open | 1998-2002 | Most Consecutive Matches Won (22) | Steffi Graf |
| Summer Olympics | 2000-08 | 3 Gold Medals overall | Stands alone |
| Wimbledon | 2005 | Longest Recorded Women's Single's Final (2 hours 45 minutes) | Lindsay Davenport |
| Wimbledon | 2007 | Lowest-ranked Winner (31st) | Stands alone |
| Wimbledon | 2007 | Lowest-seeded Winner (23rd) | Stands alone |
| Australian Open | 2003 | Fastest Serve (125 mph) | Stands alone |
| French Open | 2007 | Fastest Serve (128 mph) | Stands alone |
| Wimbledon | 2008 | Fastest Serve (129 mph) | Stands alone |
| US Open | 2007 | Fastest Serve (129 mph) | Stands alone |
| 1999 French Open - 2010 Australian Open | 1999- 2010 | Highest streak of consecutive initial Grand Slam finals won (Doubles) (11) | Serena Williams |
- In 1997, Williams became the first woman since Pam Shriver in 1978 to reach the singles final of the US Open on her first attempt.[35]
- In 1997, Williams became the first unseeded singles finalist at the US Open.[35]
- In 1997, the combined ages of Williams at age 17 and Martina Hingis at age 16 in the US Open final were the lowest in the open era history of that tournament.
- In 1998, Williams hit a 127 mph serve on match point in the Zurich Open quarterfinals, which broke the previous 123 mph record set by Brenda Schultz-McCarthy.[citation needed]
- At 1999 IGA Classic in Oklahoma City marking the first time in tennis history that sisters won titles in the same week (Serena Williams won Paris).
- At the 1999 Lipton Championships in Miami became the first pair of sisters in the Open Era to meet in a tournament final (w/ Serena Williams).
- In 2000 became the second African-American to win Wimbledon in the Open Era.
- At 2000 Sydney Olympics, became only second player ever to win Olympic gold in both singles and doubles, after Helen Wills Moody in 1924.
- By winning the 2001 Australian Open Doubles championship with Serena Williams, became the fifth pair to complete a Career Doubles Grand Slam and the only pair to win a Career Doubles Golden Slam.
- At the 2001 US Open, marked the first time in the Open Era, and second time in 117 years that sisters met in a Grand Slam final (w/ Serena Williams).
- In 2001 became the third woman in Open Era to win Wimbledon and US Open in back-to-back years after Navratilova and Graf.
- In February, 2002, became the World No. 1, the first African-American player to garner that spot since the computer rankings began in 1975.
- In 2002 became the first ever siblings to rank Top 2 at same time with sister Serena.
- Tied the winning streak in Miami tournament history by 22 with Steffi Graf.
- At the 2003 Wimbledon made fourth straight Wimbledon final, only second to Martina Navrátilová's nine.
- At the 2005 Wimbledon became the lowest ranked (No.16) and lowest seeded (No.14) player to win the championship.
- Played in the longest women's singles final in Wimbledon history with Lindsay Davenport (2hr 45mins).
- Snapped the longest losing streak in Grand Slam finals in open era (tied with Hingis) by winning the 2005 Wimbledon.
- At Wimbledon in 2007, became the lowest seeded (23rd) and lowest ranked (31st) Wimbledon women's singles champion.
- In 2007 became the first woman to benefit from the equalization of prize money at Wimbledon.[36]
- One of three women to win the Wimbledon singles title at least five times during the open era.
- Holds fastest serve recorded by a woman in all four Grand Slam tournaments:
- Australian Open: 125 mph in 2003 quarterfinal against Daniela Hantuchová[citation needed]
- French Open: 128 mph in 2007 second round against Ashley Harkleroad[37]
- Wimbledon: 129 mph in 2008 final against Serena Williams
- US Open: 129 mph in 2007 first round against Kira Nagy.
- The only female tennis player to have won three career gold medals at the Olympic Games.
- In Zurich 2008, she tied the all-time serve speed record with a 130 mph ace in the final against Flavia Pennetta, matching Brenda Schultz McCarthy's all-time record (in a qualifying match in Cincinnati)[citation needed]
- In Wimbledon 2009, Venus defeated then World No. 1 Dinara Safina in the semifinals 6-1 6-0 which was the biggest win over a reigning World no. 1 ever. It was also the shortest semifinal match recorded at Wimbledon, just 53 minutes long.
- At the 2009 Sony Ericsson Championship, she became the first player with a losing record (1-2) to advance out of pool play since Amelie Mauresmo in 2003. This was because she beat Svetlana Kuznetsova who beat Elena Dementieva who beat Venus, while Serena beat all three of them. Venus, having won more sets than the two Russians, went on to reach the Finals, where she lost to Serena.
[edit] Awards
See also: WTA Awards
|
|