We all know what a global sensation Tennis Icon, Venus Williams has been. She arrived at the international stage as a teenage prodigy and set the pace for the world record. Here are some interesting facts about this global icon.
Venus Williams was raised a Jehovah’s Witness
Venus Ebony Starr Williams came to this world on June 17, 1980, and was raised in Compton, California. In 1991, later William’s father Richard Williams saw potential in Williams sisters and moved to Florida. Oracene Price, Venus’s mother in the 1980s converted to Jehovah’s Witness religion, and Venus have also raised a follower of this religion. Venus remains private about her religion but follows it ardently.
Venus Williams features in Sports Illustrated as a kid
In a 1991 ‘Sports Illustrated’ article, "Child’s Play," Williams was profiled by the preeminent sports magazine as a rising tennis star at a small age of 10 years. This gave her national recognition at a time when kids of her age were playing around. At that young age, she dreamt of playing in Wimbledon and flying to Jupiter.
Venus Williams was the first black tennis player that ranked Number 1 in the open era
Venus William debuted at the age of 14 years when she appeared in the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California. Later, on February 25, 2002, she created history by being the first black tennis player to be ranked as no. 1 in the world.
Despite being on the top of her game, Venus earned two college degrees
Willaim’s father always highlighted the importance of education over everything; he once said ‘…I want to see them develop their education with their tennis’. With such encouragement, Venus earned an associate's degree in Fashion Design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in 2007 and later, a B.S. in Business Administration from Indiana University East in 2015. She achieved this academic success while being at the top of her game and also managing a successful business.
Venus is also a New York Times best-selling author
She co-authored a New York Times Best Seller, Come To Win: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession; this book threw light on the early athletic experiences of successful people. Venus interviewed nearly 50 people including Richard Branson, Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, and Vera Wang to name a few.
Though she dominated Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, Venus was never able to win a French Open or Australian Open title.
