‘Freedom is surreal’: Venus and Serena Williams discuss life after being two of tennis’s top stars

Venus and Serena Williams say it will be “surreal” to explore the freedom they expect to gain when they eventually step down from their meteoric tennis careers.

The sisters, who each have four Olympic gold medals, appeared on the cover of the legacy issue of Harper’s Bazaar in the US, and discussed their family, their hard-work ethic, and being role models in a wide-ranging interview.

Neither Serena, who has 23 Grand Slam singles titles, nor Venus – who has seven herself – discussed an end date to their careers on the court. But Serena told the magazine that they “never planned to just only play tennis”.

Venus joked that she and her sister had always planned to become bodybuilders after they left the world of tennis, but added on a more serious note: “From such a young age, all we’ve done is work. So I think for Serena and I to explore that freedom is surreal. We’ve never been free.”

Serena was forced to pull out of the US Open last year due to a hamstring injury, but told fans she would be “cheering everyone on from afar” and promised to see them soon. It came shortly after she had stopped her time at Wimbledon short after slipping on Centre Court and injuring her right leg.

The hamstring injury means she will also not be at the Australian Open this year, and nor will Venus, marking the first time since 1997 that neither of them have played the tournament.

Serena told Harper’s her father Richard had always promoted resting whenever she is injured. Fans got an insight into the Williams family’s life last year after it was dramatised in the Oscar-nominated film of last year, King Richard, which is up for six gongs including best picture.

The sisters are also conscious of the importance of their story and of being role