World celebrated tennis champ
Venus Williams, 41, racks up a long line of achievement, almost three whole decades of black excellence; the first Black woman in the Open era to be ranked the number one female tennis player in the world; winning combined 21 Grand Slam championships and 4 Olympic gold medals, bagging two degrees (in fashion design and business administration) and launch three companies but while most people believe marriage should come in the mix and “seal up” the excellence, she thinks otherwise, remains un-bothered and refuses to be pressured, totally content with just how her life is.
‘I like my life and I don’t want to change it’ Cosmopolitan’s latest cover star Venus Williams says matter of fact.
“I have a lot of friends who don’t believe me when I say that I like my life and I don’t want to change it for any reason. I’m not desperate and they don’t believe me.“
“They say things like, ‘You’re going to miss your window.’ I’m like, ‘Please, relax. You might feel this way, but I don’t. I promise you I don’t.” The Olympic gold medalist explaining further
The 21-time Grand Slam winner also dished on withdrawing from the US Open because of a leg injury
“I tried my best here in Chicago, but I just was unable to figure out the equation. And there’s been so many times where I’ve been able to figure it out, even not in the best of my health, but this time, I just couldn’t make any miracles work.”
The new generation of black girl athletes Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, Sha’Carri Richardson are boldly speaking up against unfavorable policies and changing the narrative, and Venus has got words full of praise for them.
“I admire everyone who stands up for what is right, which isn’t easy,” she says of Naomi and her peers. “It takes strength, courage, and vulnerability. I love to see this next generation of players be willing and open to do that regardless of the cost to them.”
The 90s saw tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams boldly taking on a sport playing often associated with white wealth and amazingly, not only did they take it on, they ended up imprinting their legacies, walking down memory lane, Venus recalls;
“I didn’t see myself as different. I saw myself as a great player,” Venus says now, reflecting on the magnitude of her impact. “I thought I was better, that I could win.”
“We’re like gladiators out there, literally,” she says. “You go out there with your lance and it’s just you.”
Success journey: from rookie to seasoned champ, she also learned how to cope with the pressure of being a world-famous athlete.
“As you grow up and mature, you realize you don’t have to be in any situation you find disrespectful,” she explains. “You can let people know what you find disrespectful.”
“It doesn’t have to be yelling or screaming. I’m not a combative person. I’m never going to let any situation change that because I want to look back and know that I stayed true to who I am. So come. Come for me if you want to, but you won’t come again.”
