Venus Williams
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| Image:Venus Williams WTT.jpg | ||
| Country | United States | |
| Residence | Ballen Isles,[citation needed] Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, U.S. | |
| Date of birth | June 17 1980 | |
| Place of birth | Lynwood, California | |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |
| Weight | 72 kg (160 lb/11.3 st) | |
| Turned Pro | 1994 | |
| Plays | Right; Two-handed backhand | |
| Career Prize Money | $18,138,781 | |
| Singles | ||
| Career record: | 475-110 | |
| Career titles: | 36 | |
| Highest ranking: | No. 1 (February 25, 2002) | |
| Grand Slam results | ||
| Australian Open | F (2003) | |
| French Open | F (2002) | |
| Wimbledon | W (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007) | |
| U.S. Open | W (2000, 2001) | |
| Doubles | ||
| Career record: | 90-17 | |
| Career titles: | 10 | |
| Highest ranking: | No. 5 (October 11, 1999) | |
|
Infobox last updated on: November 5, 2007. | ||
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Women's Tennis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 2000 Sydney | Singles | |
| Gold | 2000 Sydney | Doubles | |
Venus Ebone Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980 in Lynwood, California) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked the world's No. 1 female tennis player. As of July 2007, she is the reigning Wimbledon ladies' singles champion.
Williams has won the Olympic gold medal in women's tennis and 14 Grand Slam titles, including six singles (four at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open), six women's doubles, and two mixed doubles titles. She is the older sister of fellow former World No. 1 tennis player Serena Williams. The Williams sisters are noted for their power games: Venus currently holds the record for the fastest serve ever recorded in a professional WTA tour match (129 mph).[1]
Contents |
[edit] Playing style
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Venus is known for her offensive baseliner game, though as her game has developed over the latter stages of her career, she has begun to serve and volley more often.
Her serve on average is one of the most powerful on the WTA tour. Venus plays with a single handed forehand, which has sometimes been known to break down in the course of matches. Her stronger baseline shot is her two-handed backhand. Venus also posses a great deal of skill at the net due to her tall frame.
[edit] Career
[edit] Early career
Already well-known in tennis circles at age 14, Williams turned professional on October 31, 1994. In the second round of her first professional tournament in Oakland, Williams was up a set and a service break against top seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario before losing the match. That was the only tournament Williams played in 1994. She remained a part time player on the tour during the next two years, playing only three tournaments in 1995 and five tournaments in 1996.
Williams began to play regularly on the tour in 1997. The highlight of her year was her debut at the U.S. Open, where she lost in the final to Martina Hingis 6-0, 6-4 after defeating Irina Spirlea in a semifinal famous for "the bump" in which Spirlea and Williams collided during a changeover. Richard Williams later claimed that this incident was racially motivated.[2]
In 1998, Williams teamed with Justin Gimelstob to win the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open and the French Open. Her sister Serena Williams won the other two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles of the year, completing a "Williams Family Mixed Doubles Grand Slam." In singles, Venus won the Grand Slam Cup and the tournaments in Miami and Oklahoma City. She also reached at least the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments. She ended the year ranked fifth in the world.
In 1999, Williams won the tournament in Miami, defeating Jana Novotna, Steffi Graf, and her sister Serena in successive matches. Venus also won tournaments in Hamburg, Rome, New Haven, and Zurich. Venus and Serena teamed to win the doubles titles at the French Open and the U.S. Open, becoming the first sister team to win a Grand Slam doubles title in the 20th century. Venus also went 2-1 in the United States 4-1 win in the final of the Fed Cup against Russia, giving the U.S. its 16th title. 1-1 in singles 1-0 in doubles (with Serena).
In 2000, Williams won the singles title at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and two gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.[3] She became only the second player to win the women's singles and doubles title at the same Games.[4] The Williams sisters also won the Wimbledon doubles title for the first time.
Williams defended her Wimbledon and U.S. Open singles titles in 2001. At the U.S. Open, Williams won the tournament without dropping a set, defeating sister Serena in the final 6-2, 6-4. The Williams sisters won the Australian Open doubles title for the first time, completing a career Grand Slam in doubles for the pair. Venus won seven singles titles during the year.
Williams opened 2002 by defeating Justine Henin to win the Gold Coast tournament. She then reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, won Paris and Antwerp, and reached the semifinals of Dubai and Miami. Williams won seven singles titles during the year, a career best. In February 2002, Williams became the top-ranked player in the world, the first African American player to garner that spot since the computer rankings began in 1975.[5] The Williams sisters won the Wimbledon doubles title for the second time in 2002.
Beginning with the 2002 French Open and extending through the Australian Open in 2003, Venus reached the final in four consecutive Grand Slam singles tournaments, losing each to Serena.
[edit] 2003
Williams started the year by losing to her sister Serena in three sets in the 2003 Australian Open final. Williams then won the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium for the second consecutive year, defeating Daniela Hantuchova and Kim Clijsters in consecutive matches.
During a semifinal match against Clijsters at Wimbledon, Williams suffered a severe abdominal injury that required medical attention during the match. Williams lost the first set and was behind early in the second set before rain delayed the match. Once play resumed, Williams won the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, advancing to her fourth consecutive Wimbledon final. Venus lost the final to her sister Serena 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
On the morning of September 14, 2003, Venus's older half sister, Yetunde Price, was murdered in the Compton, California area.[6] The era of domination by the Williams sisters began to subside after the murder. Following Wimbledon, both Venus and Serena suffered injuries that kept them out of competition for the last half of the year.
[edit] 2004
Williams came back to the tour and experienced inconsistent results. As the third seeded player because of a protected ranking, she reached the third round of the Australian Open, where she lost to Lisa Raymond. After quarterfinal losses in Tokyo, Dubai, and Miami, Williams won the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, defeating Conchita Martinez in the final. At the Tier II tournament in Warsaw, Williams defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. The following week, Williams reached the final of the Tier I tournament in Berlin but was forced to retire from her match against Amelie Mauresmo. Going into the French Open, Williams had the best clay court record among the women and was among the favorites to win the title; however, she lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Anastasia Myskina 6-3, 6-4.
At Wimbledon, Williams lost a controversial second round match to Croatian Karolina Sprem. The umpire of the match, Ted Watts, awarded Sprem an unearned point in the second set tiebreak. Upon the conclusion of the match, he was quickly relieved of his duties.[7]
Williams was the third seed at the hardcourt tournament in Stanford, where she lost the final to top seeded Lindsay Davenport in a third set tiebreak. At the tournament in Los Angeles the following week, Williams lost again to Davenport, this time in the semifinals. Williams was leading 5-1 in the first set when she suffered an injury and lost the last six games of the set. She then retired from the match.
In the fourth round of the U.S. Open, Williams lost to Davenport for the third consecutive time. Williams ended her year by losing in the quarterfinals of three consecutive tournaments in Moscow, Zurich, and Philadelphia.
[edit] 2005
Williams started the year by losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Alicia Molik. She then reached the final at the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium, where she was attempting to win the tournament for the third time in four years. She defeated Kim Clijsters in the quarterfinals, Anastasia Myskina in the semifinals, and was up a set and a break in the final against Amelie Mauresmo before losing the match. Williams then lost in the first round in Dubai.
At the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Venus defeated her sister Serena in the quarterfinals before losing to Maria Sharapova. This was the first time since the 2001 U.S. Open that Venus had defeated Serena.
Williams then reached the quarterfinals at Amelia Island, where she lost to top seeded Lindsay Davenport. In her next tournament in Charleston, Williams lost in the third round. She then won a Tier III title in Istanbul, defeating second seeded Nicole Vaidišová in the final.
At the French Open, Williams lost in the third round to 15-year old Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva, who subsequently failed a doping test and was suspended from the tour for two years.
At Wimbledon, Williams defeated defending champion Sharapova in a semifinal 7-6(2), 6-1, breaking Sharapova's serve four times. (Sharapova had lost only one service game to that point.) This marked the sixth consecutive year that at least one of the Williams sisters had reached the final, and it was Venus's fifth appearance in the Wimbledon final in the past 6 years. In the longest Wimbledon final in history, Williams was down match point at 6-4, 6-7(4), 5-4 (40-30) before coming back to defeat top seeded Davenport. This was Williams's third Wimbledon singles title, and this was the first time in 70 years that a player had won after being down match point during the women's final. In addition, Williams, as the 14th seed, was the lowest seed to win the women's singles title in Wimbledon history.
Playing for the fifth consecutive week, including Fed Cup, Williams reached the final of the Stanford tournament after defeating Patty Schnyder in a semifinal 2-6, 7-6, 6-2. Visibly exhausted, Williams lost the final to Clijsters.
At the 2005 U.S. Open, Williams reached the quarterfinals. In the fourth round, Venus defeated her sister Serena for the second consecutive time. In the quarterfinals, Williams lost to Clijsters 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, who went on to win the tournament.
In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her 25th on its list of the 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS era.[8]
[edit] 2006
Williams lost surprisingly in the first round of the Australian Open to Tszvetana Pironkova 2-6, 6-0, 9-7. It was Williams' earliest loss at that tournament.
Williams was out of action from January 16 until April 30 because of injuries. After defeating Martina Hingis in the second round, she reached the quarterfinals at the J&S Cup in Warsaw, losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova. She then lost to Hingis in a semifinal of the Italian Open, after defeating Jelena Janković and Patty Schnyder in earlier rounds. Williams ended her clay court season with a French Open quarterfinal loss to Nicole Vaidišová 6-7, 6-1, 6-3.
Williams competed at Wimbledon as one of the favorites to win the title. She survived a scare against fellow American Lisa Raymond in the second round when Williams was two points from defeat. Williams then lost in the third round to 26th seeded Janković 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-4. After the loss, Venus was quoted as saying that she was having pain in her left wrist, but that it was not the reason why she lost.
Williams did not play in the U.S. Open series or the U.S. Open itself due to a recurring wrist injury. During her first tournament in almost three months, she reinjured her wrist in Luxembourg and lost in the second round after defeating rising star Ana Ivanović in the first round.
[edit] 2007
Williams started the year by withdrawing from the 2007 Australian Open because of a recurring wrist injury. This was the second consecutive Grand Slam event that Williams had missed due to injury for the first time in her career.
At the WTA Cellular South Cup in Memphis, Tennessee, Williams won the title, defeating top-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel in the final 6-1, 6-1. This was her first tournament since October 2006 and her 34th career singles title.
Williams's next tournament was the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, where she lost in the third round to top seeded Maria Sharapova 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. However, her ranking jumped from 39 to 32.
She then moved onto clay, playing at the Tier II Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida. She beat Aravane Rezai and fourth seeded Patty Schnyder before falling in the quarterfinals to the eighth seed and eventual champion Tatiana Golovin 6-2, 6-3. Her next tournament was the Tier 1 Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, where she lost in the semifinals to Jelena Janković. Despite the loss, her ranking rose to 22.
Williams played Fed Cup with her sister Serena for the first time in four years, in a home tie against Belgium in Delray Beach, Florida, beating the young Belgium team 5-0. Williams defeated Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 6-2 and Yanina Wickmayer 6-1, 6-2.
At the J&S Cup in Warsaw, Poland, a title she won in 2004, Williams lost in the quarterfinals to Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
After taking two weeks off after her loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova in Warsaw, Williams arrived in Istanbul in preparation for the French Open at the Istanbul Cup. She started out well, defeating Tatiana Poutchek 6-1, 6-2 in the first round. However, her run ended as she lost to French hard hitter Aravane Rezai 6-4, 6-4 in the second round.[9] This was Williams's first defeat in a Tier III event on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.
At the French Open, Williams lost her third round match with Janković 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. During her second round win over Ashley Harkleroad, Williams hit a 206 km/h (128.8 mph) serve, which is the fastest woman's serve ever recorded.
At the Wimbledon Championships, playing with a white Wilson (K) Factor limited-edition racket featuring 22-carat gold leaf laid into the frame, a resurgent Williams reached the final for the sixth time. In her third round match against Akiko Morigami, Williams won the first set 6-2 but trailed 4-1 in the second set when rain interrupted play. After the match resumed, Morigami won the set 6-3 and served for the third set before Williams regrouped and won the match 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. In the fourth round match against Maria Sharapova, the second seed going into the tournament, Venus won in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 and reached the quarterfinals. Venus played Svetlana Kuznetsova, the number 5 seed, in the quarterfinals, whom she beat in straight sets 6-3 6-4, to reach her 6th Wimbledon Championship semifinal. She then beat sixth seed Ana Ivanović 6-2 6-4 to reach the final. This Wimbledon run has drawn comparisons with her 2005 win. Venus clinched her 4th Wimbledon Title with a decisive 124 mph unreturnable serve into the body of her opponent, Marion Bartoli. Venus won the match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, taking £700,000 home in prize money. Seeded 23, Williams beat her own record set in 2005 as the lowest women's seed to win Wimbledon. During the ceremony she said that her sister Serena inspired her to win.[10] With her 4th Wimbledon title, Venus joins an elite group comprising Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf as the only women who have won four or more Wimbledon ladies singles titles in the Open Era.[11] The win also catapulted Venus' WTA Ranking from #31 to #17, her first return to the top 20 in a year.
She then played for America in the Fed Cup for their semifinal tie against Russia. Despite Venus' winning both her singles matches, beating Nadia Petrova and Anna Chakvetadze, the American team lost in the deciding doubles tie where Venus paired with Lisa Raymond.[12]
In Williams' next tournament, San Diego, she defeated Anastassia Rodionova 6-3, 6-0 in the first round, despite having a low percentage of first serves. She faced Virginie Razzano in her second round match and won 6-2, 6-4. Williams struggled a bit in the second set, serving six double faults and producing a first serve percentage of only 49%. Venus next played a much better match against Daniela Hantuchova, the sixth seed in the tournament. She defeated Hantuchova in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3, serving 5 aces in the process and breaking her opponent 7 times. In her quarter-final match, Williams lost to Anna Chakvetadze of Russia. Venus held match point in the second set but double faulted and ended up losing the 2nd set tiebreak. In the third set Williams served 8 double faults and managed a first serve percentage of only 43%. The final score was 6-7, 7-6, 6-2. However, as a result of her quarterfinal appearance, her ranking increased to #14. She was scheduled to play the Rogers Cup in Toronto but withdrew due to injury.[13]
At the U.S. Open, Venus defeated all of her early-round opponents in straight sets. In a quarterfinal match that culminated in a dramatic third-set tiebreak, Venus prevailed over Jelena Janković 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). Williams was defeated by the eventual champion, Justine Henin, in the semifinal 7-6, 6-4. Both players played high-quality tennis, but both had health issues during the match. Henin came off court first during the match for some treatment. Then in the second set Venus was complaining of a stomach ache and dizziness and was given treatment. In the post match interview Venus stated, "I just was feeling dizzy, a little sick to the stomach. Was just having some energy problems. I'm not really sure what's wrong with me" adding, "But, you know, credit to her for playing well." Later, Oracene Price, mother of the Williams' sisters, talked about how Venus had been diagnosed with anemia in San Diego where she lost in the quarterfinals, revealing that, “Today I guess the anemia came back,” continuing, “Venus feels like the ground is moving beneath her feet. Things aren’t right and we have to find out what’s wrong.”[14][15].
After reaching the semifinals, her ranking moved up five places to #9. With Serena at #7, it was the first time the sisters were in the top 10 together since September 2005.
Venus competed in and won her 36th career singles title at the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul, South Korea. Williams, as the top seed, defeated fourth-seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko in the championship match 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. Despite having a heavily strapped leg, Williams then played in the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, Japan where she coasted through her first two rounds against compatriots Jill Craybas and Vania King 6-1, 6-3 and 6-0, 6-4, respectively. She then defeated Alicia Molik 7-6(4), 6-3 in the quarterfinals, hitting 15 aces in the process, and Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-5 in the semi-finals. However, Venus lost to Virginie Razzano in the final 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4 after holding three match points. Venus received medical treatment for a hip problem after the second set. Venus' next tournament was the PTT Bangkok Open. In the first two rounds, she defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2 and Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4, 6-1, followed by a victory over Camille Pin in the quarterfinals 6-1, 6-1. However, Venus suffered a surprising defeat to Flavia Pennetta in the semifinals 6-4, 7-6(8), who went on to win the title.
Despite officially qualifying for the 2007 WTA Tour Championships on October 26, Venus withdrew from the championships on October 28 due to her continuing problems with anemia.[16] She was replaced by Maria Sharapova, who subsequently reached the finals.
On December 13, 2007, Williams received her associate degree in Fashion Design from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with Cum Laude honors and a 3.5 GPA.[17]
[edit] 2008
Venus began her 2008 campaign at the JB Group Classic exhibition event in Hong Kong. She breezed past Shuai Peng in stylish fashion 6-1 6-2 meeting Elena Dementieva in the semi-finals. In the semis Venus struggled at times with a hamstring injury sustained late in the first set though eventually powering past her opponent 6-3 6-3 to set up a showdown with Maria Sharapova in the final.[18] She won the final in straight sets, defeating the Russian 6-4 6-3.[citation needed] She also won the doubles event with the danish player Caroline Wozniacki.
Her next tournament will be the Australian Open where she is scheduled to play singles and doubles(with sister Serena Williams).
[edit] Fight for equal prize money for women at Wimbledon and the French Open
Despite decades of lobbying by tennis pioneer Billie Jean King and others, only the French Open and Wimbledon in 2005 still refused to pay women's and men's players equally through all rounds. In 2005, Williams met with officials from both tournaments, arguing that female tennis players should be paid as much as males.[19] Although WTA tour President Larry Scott commented that she left "a very meaningful impression," Williams's demands were rejected.
The turning point was an essay published in the The Times on the eve of Wimbledon in 2006. In it, Williams accused Wimbledon of being on the "wrong side of history," writing:
I feel so strongly that Wimbledon’s stance devalues the principle of meritocracy and diminishes the years of hard work that women on the tour have put into becoming professional tennis players.
I believe that athletes — especially female athletes in the world’s leading sport for women — should serve as role models. The message I like to convey to women and girls across the globe is that there is no glass ceiling. My fear is that Wimbledon is loudly and clearly sending the opposite message....
Wimbledon has argued that women’s tennis is worth less for a variety of reasons; it says, for example, that because men play a best of five sets game they work harder for their prize money.
This argument just doesn’t make sense; first of all, women players would be happy to play five sets matches in grand slam tournaments....
Secondly, tennis is unique in the world of professional sports. No other sport has men and women competing for a grand slam championship on the same stage, at the same time. So in the eyes of the general public the men’s and women’s games have the same value.
Third, ... we enjoy huge and equal celebrity and are paid for the value we deliver to broadcasters and spectators, not the amount of time we spend on the stage. And, for the record, the ladies’ final at Wimbledon in 2005 lasted 45 minutes longer than the men’s....
Wimbledon has justified treating women as second class because we do more for the tournament. The argument goes that the top women — who are more likely also to play doubles matches than their male peers — earn more than the top men if you count singles, doubles and mixed doubles prize money. So the more we support the tournament, the more unequally we should be treated! But doubles and mixed doubles are separate events from the singles competition. Is Wimbledon suggesting that, if the top women withdrew from the doubles events, that then we would deserve equal prize money in singles? And how then does the All England Club explain why the pot of women’s doubles prize money is nearly £130,000 smaller than the men’s doubles prize money?
I intend to keep doing everything I can until Billie Jean's original dream of equality is made real. It’s a shame that the name of the greatest tournament in tennis, an event that should be a positive symbol for the sport, is tarnished.[20]
In response, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and members of Parliament publicly endorsed Williams's arguments.[21] Later that year, the Women's Tennis Association and UNESCO teamed for a campaign to promote gender equality in sports, asking Williams to lead the campaign.[22] Under enormous pressure, Wimbledon announced in February 2007 that it would award equal prize money to all competitors in all rounds, and the French Open followed suit a day later.[23] In the aftermath, French Tennis Federation president Christian Bimes admitted he had been "particularly sensitive" to Williams's remarks,[24] and the Chicago Sun-Times cited Williams as "the single factor" that "changed the minds of the boys" and a leader whose "willingness to take a public stand separates her not only from most of her female peers, but also from our most celebrated male athletes."[25] Williams herself commented, "Somewhere in the world a little girl is dreaming of holding a giant trophy in her hands and being viewed as an equal to boys who have similar dreams."[26]
Venus herself ultimately became the first woman to benefit from the equalization of prize money at Wimbledon, winning the 2007 tournament and being awarded the same amount as the male winner.
[edit] Off court
Her boyfriend, pro golfer Hank Kuehne, has been a visible presence since Wimbledon, holding her hand during the long delays and clapping support from the players' box along with Williams' parents and younger sister, Serena.
"He's a great guy," Williams said. "He understands competition. He's very supportive. I love having him here and everyone else in the box, too." [27]
Venus is a businesswoman and CEO of her interior design firm "V Starr Interiors" located in Jupiter, Florida. Williams' company garnered prominence by designing the set of the "Tavis Smiley Show" on PBS, designing the Olympic athletes' apartments as part of the U.S. bid package for New York to host the 2012 games, and designing for residences and businesses in the Palm Beach, Florida area. Most recently Venus Williams has teamed with retailer Steve & Barry's to launch her own fashion line EleVen to be in stores in November with over 120 pieces.
"I love fashion and the idea that I am using my design education to actually create clothing and footwear that I will wear on and off the tennis court is a dream come true for me," Williams said, "the vision has been to create a collection that will allow women to enjoy an active lifestyle while remaining fashionable at the same time. I'm thrilled with everything we've created to launch EleVen." [28]
In 2001, Williams was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal.[29] .
[edit] Career statistics
[edit] Grand Slam finals
[edit] Singles
[edit] Wins (6)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2000 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Lindsay Davenport | 6-3, 7-6(3) |
| 2000 | U.S. Open | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Lindsay Davenport | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2001 | Wimbledon (2nd) | Image:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Justine Henin | 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 |
| 2001 | U.S. Open (2nd) | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Serena Williams | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2005 | Wimbledon (3rd) | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Lindsay Davenport | 4-6, 7-6(4), 9-7 |
| 2007 | Wimbledon (4th) | Image:Flag of France.svg Marion Bartoli | 6-4, 6-1 |
[edit] Runner-ups (6)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1997 | U.S. Open | Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Martina Hingis | 6-0, 6-4 |
| 2002 | French Open | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Serena Williams | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 2002 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Serena Williams | 7-6(4), 6-3 |
| 2002 | U.S. Open (2nd) | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Serena Williams | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2003 | Australian Open | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Serena Williams | 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4 |
| 2003 | Wimbledon (2nd) | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Serena Williams | 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 |
[edit] Doubles
[edit] Wins (6)
[edit] Mixed Doubles
[edit] Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | Partnering | Opponents in Final | Score in Final |
| 1998 | Australian Open | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Justin Gimelstob | Image:Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg Cyril Suk Image:Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg Helena Suková | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1998 | French Open | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Justin Gimelstob | Image:Flag of Argentina.svg Luis Lobo Image:Flag of the United States.svg Serena Williams | 6-4, 6-4 |
[edit] Runner-up (1)
| Year | Championship | Partnering | Opponents in Final | Score in Final |
| 2006 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Bob Bryan | Image:Flag of Israel.svg Andy Ram Image:Flag of Russia.svg Vera Zvonareva | 6-3, 6-2 |
[edit] Titles (47)
[edit] Singles (36)
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[edit] Doubles (10)
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[edit] Singles runner-ups (21)
Grand slam events in boldface.
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[edit] Singles performance timeline
To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the 2007 PTT Bangkok Open in Bangkok, Thailand, which ended for Venus on October 13, 2007.
| Tournament | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | QF | QF | A | SF | QF | F | 3R | 4R | 1R | A | 0 / 8 | |
| French Open | A | A | A | 2R | QF | 4R | QF | 1R | F | 4R | QF | 3R | QF | 3R | 0 / 11 | |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | 1R | QF | QF | W | W | F | F | 2R | W | 3R | W | 4 / 11 | |
| US Open | A | A | A | F | SF | SF | W | W | F | A | 4R | QF | A | SF | 2 / 9 | |
| Grand Slam Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 7-3 | 17-4 | 16-4 | 18-1 | 19-2 | 22-4 | 15-3 | 10-4 | 16-3 | 6-3 | 14-2 | 160-33 | |
| Grand Slam SR | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 6 / 39 | |
| WTA Tour Championships | A | A | A | A | A | SF | A | A | SF | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 | |
| Tokyo | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | A | A | A | 0 / 1 | |
| Indian Wells | A | A | 1R | QF | SF | A | A | SF | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 4 | |
| Key Biscayne | A | A | A | 3R | W | W | A | W | SF | 4R | QF | SF | A | 3R | 3 / 9 | |
| Charleston | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | W | 3R | A | SF | 1 / 3 | |
| Berlin | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 3R | A | A | F | A | A | A | 0 / 2 | |
| Rome | A | A | A | A | F | W | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | SF | A | 1 / 4 | |
| San Diego1 | A | A | 1R | 2R | QF | F | W | W | W | A | A | A | A | QF | 3 / 8 | |
| Montreal/Toronto | A | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 | |
| Moscow | A | A | A | QF | SF | A | A | A | 2R | A | QF | A | A | A | 0 / 4 | |
| Zurich | A | A | A | QF | F | W | A | A | A | A | QF | A | A | A | 1 / 4 | |
| Tournaments played | 1 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 148 | |
| Finals reached | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 57 | |
| Tournaments Won | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 36 | |
| Hardcourt Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-2 | 7-3 | 18-7 | 35-7 | 35-6 | 25-0 | 32-2 | 33-4 | 8-2 | 21-9 | 15-5 | 1-2 | 27-5 | 257-54 | |
| Clay Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 4-2 | 9-2 | 12-2 | 6-3 | 5-2 | 14-2 | 6-2 | 17-1 | 9-3 | 10-3 | 12-5 | 104-28 | |
| Grass Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-2 | 4-2 | 4-1 | 7-0 | 7-0 | 6-1 | 6-1 | 1-1 | 7-0 | 2-1 | 7-0 | 55-9 | |
| Carpet Win-Loss | 1-1 | 2-1 | 0-1 | 6-3 | 5-2 | 7-3 | 3-1 | 2-1 | 9-2 | 4-0 | 3-1 | 3-1 | 0-0 | 5-0 | 45-17 | |
| Overall Win-Loss | 1-1 | 2-3 | 7-5 | 32-14 | 53-13 | 58-12 | 41-4 | 46-5 | 62-9 | 24-5 | 42-12 | 34-9 | 13-6 | 50-10 | 461-108² | |
| Year End Ranking | - | 204 | 204 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 46 | 8 | N/A |
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
1 The San Diego tournament achieved Tier I status only in 2004.
² If Fed Cup (14-2) participation is included, overall win-loss record stands at 475-110.
[edit] See also
- List of Grand Slam Women's Singles champions
- List of Grand Slam Women's Doubles champions
- List of Grand Slam Mixed Doubles champions
- List of celebrities who have been Punk'd from Season 6 to Present
[edit] References
- ^ Venus sets record with 129-mph serve
- ^ Venus Envy
- ^ Williams storms to Olympic gold
- ^ Williams sisters become golden girls
- ^ Williams takes number one spot
- ^ Eldest sister of Venus, Serena shot dead
- ^ Tennis: Wimbledon 2004: Seeds are shaken by Sprem's flowering talent
- ^ [1]
- ^ Rezai beats Williams in straight sets
- ^ Venus Williams wins fourth Wimbledon title
- ^ Williams joins women's elite with fourth Wimbledon title
- ^ Sweet music as Petrova and Vesnina steer Russia's tennis girls past USA
- ^ Venus Williams pulls out of Rogers Cup
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ http://www.artinstitutes.edu/fortlauderdale/press_release.asp?PressID=5420
- ^ http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-04-voa33.cfm
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6]
- ^ Blair adds support for equal pay
- ^ WTA Tour and UNESCO to promote gender equality
- ^ Roland Garros Awards Equal Pay
- ^ [7]
- ^ [8]
- ^ We haven't heard last of Venus
- ^ Venus Williams: Rain brings 'clarity'
- ^ [9]
- ^ "#21 to #25", Ladies Home Journal.
[edit] External links
- Venus Williams profile on the WTA Tour's official website
- Venus Williams Official website
- V Starr Interiors website
- ElevenbyVenus website
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jennifer Capriati Jennifer Capriati Jennifer Capriati | World No. 1 February 25, 2002 - March 17, 2002 April 22, 2002 - May 19, 2002 June 10, 2002 - July 7, 2002 | Succeeded by Jennifer Capriati Jennifer Capriati Serena Williams |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Anna Kournikova | WTA Newcomer of the Year 1997 | Succeeded by Serena Williams |
| Preceded by Lindsay Davenport | WTA Player of The Year 2000 | Succeeded by Jennifer Capriati |
| Preceded by Martina Hingis & Anna Kournikova | WTA Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams) 2000 | Succeeded by Lisa Raymond & Rennae Stubbs |
WTA World No. 1s in Women's tennis |
|---|
| Tracy Austin · Jennifer Capriati · Kim Clijsters · Lindsay Davenport · Chris Evert · Evonne Goolagong · Steffi Graf · Justine Henin · Martina Hingis · Amélie Mauresmo · Martina Navrátilová · Arantxa Sánchez Vicario · Monica Seles · Maria Sharapova · Serena Williams · Venus Williams |
Tennis at the Summer Olympics • Olympic Champions in Women's tennis |
|---|
1900: Charlotte Cooper • 1908: Dorothea Chambers, Gwendoline Eastlake-Smith (indoors) • 1912: Marguerite Broquedis, Edith Hannam (indoors) • 1920: Suzanne Lenglen • 1924: Helen Wills • 1988: Steffi Graf • 1992: Jennifer Capriati • 1996: Lindsay Davenport • 2000: Venus Williams • 2004: Justine Henin-Hardenne |
Wimbledon women's singles champions* |
|---|
* Open Era • (1968) Billie Jean King • (1969) Ann Haydon-Jones • (1970) Margaret Smith Court • (1971) Evonne Goolagong • (1972-73) Billie Jean King • (1974) Chris Evert • (1975) Billie Jean King • (1976) Chris Evert • (1977) Virginia Wade • (1978-79) Martina Navrátilová • (1980) Evonne Goolagong • (1981) Chris Evert • (1982-83-84-85-86-87) Martina Navrátilová • (1988-89) Steffi Graf • (1990) Martina Navrátilová • (1991-92-93) Steffi Graf • (1994) Conchita Martínez • (1995-96) Steffi Graf • (1997) Martina Hingis • (1998) Jana Novotná • (1999) Lindsay Davenport • (2000-01) Venus Williams • (2002-03) Serena Williams • (2004) Maria Sharapova • (2005) Venus Williams • (2006) Amélie Mauresmo • (2007) Venus Williams |
US Open women's singles champions* |
|---|
* Open Era • (1968) Virginia Wade • (1969-70) Margaret Smith Court • (1971-72) Billie Jean King • (1973) Margaret Smith Court • (1974) Billie Jean King • (1975-78) Chris Evert • (1979) Tracy Austin • (1980) Chris Evert-Lloyd • (1981) Tracy Austin • (1982) Chris Evert-Lloyd • (1983-84) Martina Navrátilová • (1985) Hana Mandlíková • (1986-87) Martina Navrátilová • (1988-89) Steffi Graf • (1990) Gabriela Sabatini • (1991-92) Monica Seles • (1993) Steffi Graf • (1994) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario • (1995-96) Steffi Graf • (1997) Martina Hingis • (1998) Lindsay Davenport • (1999) Serena Williams • (2000-01) Venus Williams • (2002) Serena Williams • (2003) Justine Henin-Hardenne • (2004) Svetlana Kuznetsova • (2005) Kim Clijsters • (2006) Maria Sharapova • (2007) Justine Henin |
ar:فينوس ويليامز bn:ভিনাস উইলিয়ামস bs:Venus Williams bg:Винъс Уилямс cs:Venus Williamsová da:Venus Williams de:Venus Williams es:Venus Williams eo:Venus Williams fr:Venus Williams hi:वीनस विलियम्स hr:Venus Williams id:Venus Williams it:Venus Williams he:ונוס ויליאמס kn:ವೀನಸ್ ವಿಲಿಯಂಸ್ ka:უინს უილიამსი hu:Venus Williams mr:व्हिनस विल्यम्स nl:Venus Williams ja:ビーナス・ウィリアムズ no:Venus Williams pl:Venus Williams pt:Venus Williams ru:Уильямс, Винус simple:Venus Williams sk:Venus Williamsová sr:Венус Вилијамс fi:Venus Williams sv:Venus Williams ta:வீனஸ் வில்லியம்ஸ் vi:Venus Williams tr:Venus Williams uk:Вільямс Венус zh:维纳斯·威廉姆斯
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