Venus Williams: The story of her 23 Wimbledon appearances, including Grand Slam wins and losing to sister Serena

Venus Williams will enter the Wimbledon women’s singles draw for a 24th – and potentially final — time this month. Now 43, Williams first played in the main draw at the All England Club as a 17-year-old in 1997. Since that first-round defeat to Magdalena Gryzbowska, Williams has won the title five times, lost in the final four times, faced younger sister Serena six times, gone out again in the first round, made the quarters, made the semis, and then in 2017 defied the odds to make the final as a 37-year-old.

Ad This could be her last-ever Wimbledon, or there could be more to come. WTA BerlinOstapenko ousts Williams in Birmingham thriller, Gauff and Sabalenka out in Berlin22/06/2023 AT 11:09 While what’s ahead for Williams is unclear, she has been one of the defining players of the 21st century at Wimbledon. As she prepares for another appearance at her most successful Grand Slam, we look back on all her previous appearances through what either she or her opponent said at the time.

1997 «I am not disappointed. It's my first Wimbledon and there will be many more to come.” – Venus Williams What happened: A 17-year-old Williams was beaten 6-4 2-6 4-6 in the first round by 18-year-old Magdalena Gryzbowska. Williams was 2-0 up in the second set before losing seven games in a row.

1998 “I felt like I needed to do that because I really wanted to win those points, and the ball was really out…I was probably pretty loud, though.” – Venus Williams What happened: Williams lost 7-5 7-6(2) to third seed Jana Novotna in the quarter-finals and was upset by several line calls. She complained during the match that a shot from Novotna was “so far out” and vented at the line judge as well as the umpire. Williams joked afterwards that her