Venus Williams
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williamsis an American professional tennis player, who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 6 in singles as of July 25, 2016. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three occasions, for a total of 11 weeks. She became the World No. 1 for the first time on February 25, 2002, becoming the first black American woman to achieve this feat during the Open Era...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTennis Player
Date of Birth17 June 1980
CityLynwood, CA
CountryUnited States of America
Her competitive spirit is so high, you have to go to the ends of the earth to beat her,
I've been called Rip Van Winkle. I wish they'd call me Sleeping Beauty.
I think it's something that they can fix. I was in pain. It was really tough to move and I couldn't move fast.
I'm so proud to have followed her achievements and to have done it in her lifetime.
Even though I've won major tennis tournaments, been on television, radio and numerous magazine covers, seeing my picture on McDonald's packaging was one of the coolest and most exciting moments of my life - I literally beamed when I saw it. McDonald's Global Casting Call will give people around the world the chance to feel the same excitement I did that day.
I am an experienced player and I have been in the last four so many times. I know what I am doing.
I just somehow fell off my form. But it's the beginning of the year and I feel like I still have a lot of success ahead of me. It's just my first event.
Obviously, if Serena was No. 60 in the world, not a huge threat, it would be completely different, and the same for me, vice versa,
I'm really dedicated to getting my ranking up. I feel like, wow, I'm a very good player. There are all these people ranked ahead of me. After a while, I'm tired of being ranked low.
That's fine because then people will be , 'okay, well, she won't be able to run'. That's a great position to be in.
I think it will be a real tough match. She does everything well and when she strikes the ball, she really goes for it.
In 10-15 years there will be a little drop-off for us. It's high tide right now, ... One day there will be another tennis player that excites people -- you can't be No. 1 forever.
I am fully fit. If I wasn't fully fit, I would still say I'm fully fit, so I'm fully fit.
If I'd lived prior to the 1980s, it would have been different, because I would have been playing to prove African Americans are equal. Now, I don't necessarily feel I have to play for black people, because obviously they're doing everything in all sports. If I can go out there and play for myself and not feel I have to stand for something other than what I want to do, that's good.