Nairobi, Kenya- In the summer of 1997, notable events took place including the handover of Hong Kong to China, the success of “Men in Black” at the box office, and the introduction of Harry Potter to the world of Hogwarts.
It was also the year when a young 17-year-old Venus Williams, with white beads in her hair, made her debut at Wimbledon.
Unfortunately, her first experience at the tournament ended quickly with a first-round loss to Poland’s Magdalena Grzybowska.
Fast forward 26 years, and now at the age of 43, Venus Williams, the veteran of tennis, is preparing for her 24th appearance at the All England Club.
Throughout her career, Williams has been crowned champion five times, triumphing in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2008 when she defeated her sister Serena in the final.
She has also been a four-time runner-up, losing to Serena in 2002, 2003, and 2009, and to Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in 2017 when she was 37 years old.
Although she was once ranked as the world number one, Williams is currently ranked at 554. However, she has no plans to retire following in the footsteps of her sister Serena. She prefers to follow her own path and march to the beat of her own drum.
Williams believes that no one in life has anything to prove except for the obligation to pay taxes, or else face the consequences. Throughout her Wimbledon journey, spanning four decades, she has achieved victories over renowned Grand Slam players such as Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, and Maria Sharapova, all of whom have long retired from the sport.
Her impressive record stands at 90 wins and 18 losses, accompanied by memorable performances. For instance, her 2005 semi-final win over Sharapova served as an act of revenge for Serena’s loss to the Russian teenager in the 2004 final. Shortly after, Williams engaged in an epic two-hour and 45-minute final against Lindsay Davenport, prevailing with a 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 9-7 victory and saving a match point.
The 2008 final against Serena marked Venus’s second win in seven major championship deciders against her sister. Despite her joy of winning Wimbledon, she expressed concern for Serena’s feelings after the match.
In recent times, Williams has rarely been seen on tennis courts due to a six-month hiatus caused by a hamstring injury sustained in Auckland in January. Her return to the sport earlier this month resulted in a first-round loss to 17-year-old Celine Naef in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. However, she rebounded in Birmingham with a three-hour and 17-minute victory over Camila Giorgi, securing her first win against a top-50 player in four years.
As she embarks on yet another Wimbledon campaign, Williams remains focused and driven by a simple mantra: “W-I-N.”
