Venus Williams: The history-maker who ushered in a new era for tennis

When talking about the greatest talents in tennis, two names will always come up in the conversation – Serena Williams and Venus Williams. 

The sisters have an astonishing 30 Grand Slam titles between them, and they often paired up to dominate in doubles tournaments as well. 

Serena may be more successful on the tennis court, but Venus burst onto the scene first, ushering in a new era of tennis. 

Her story can sometimes be overshadowed by Serena’s, so GiveMeSport Women shines a light on the life of the seven-time Grand Slam winner. 

Venus’s early life has now been made famous in the recent film “King Richard”. The award-winning biopic tells how the Williams sisters were introduced to tennis on the public courts in Los Angeles and were quickly identified as special talents. 

The family moved from Compton in California to West Palm Beach in Florida in 1990 so the sisters could train with tennis coach Rick Macci. 

Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus, had a unique approach with his daughters. 

He stopped sending his daughters to junior tennis tournaments when Venus was 11-years-old, allowing them to focus on the schoolwork and protecting them from racial abuse. 

In 1995, Richard decided to take his daughters out of Macci’s academy, and coach them at home. 

By this point, Venus was already playing on the WTA Tour. She turned professional in 1994, at the age of 14. 

Her real breakthrough came in 1997, when she reached the final of the US Open. 

Although she ended up losing to Martina Hingis, Venus became the first woman since 1978 to reach a US Open final on her first attempt, and was the first unseeded US Open women’s finalist since 1958.

Venus also broke into the top 50 for the first time, ending the year ranked