Seven-time grand slam winner is back on the US circuit with aim of being the best she can be despite health struggles
“S
till haven’t seen the Rolling Stones,” says Venus Williams, smiling, as she reminisced about her unforgettable professional tennis debut at the age of 14 in Oakland, California, an occasion that justified years of hype surrounding her stratospheric potential. Her first ever professional tennis match took place next door to a Rolling Stones concert. Now, 31 years later, at 45 years old, Williams is still here.
Three weeks after returning to professional tennis for the first time in 16 months with a straight sets singles victory over the then world No 35 Peyton Stearns at the Citi Open in Washington, which marked her as the second-oldest woman in history to win a WTA Tour-level singles match and also silenced criticisms about her enduring presence on the tour, Williams now takes her comeback to the Cincinnati Open.
Once one of the most precocious youngsters of her time, a US Open finalist by the age of 17, Williams continues to compete. She is one of the greatest tennis players of all time in her own right, a seven-time singles grand slam champion, Olympic gold medallist and former No 1 in singles. Despite all she has achieved, her enduring love for her sport means she continues to step on the practice court every day with the aim of being the best player she can be.
