Venus Williams
American tennis champion with seven singles majors and 14 doubles majors.
Venus Ebony Star Williams was born on June 17, 1980, in Lynwood, California. She is an American professional tennis player who has held the world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles. Over her career, she has collected 49 singles titles on the WTA Tour, including seven major championships—five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open—along with a gold medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2008 WTA Tour Championships. In doubles, she has won 22 titles, 14 of them majors, plus three Olympic gold medals.
Venus and her younger sister Serena were coached by their parents, Oracene Price and Richard Williams. She turned professional in 1994 and reached her first major final at age 17 during the 1997 US Open. In 2000 and 2001, she won both Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as Olympic singles gold in Sydney. On February 25, 2002, she became the world No. 1 in singles, the first African-American woman to achieve that in the Open era and the second overall after Althea Gibson. Between 2002 and 2003, she reached four consecutive major finals but lost each time to Serena. Injuries then slowed her, and she won only one major from 2003 through 2006. She returned to form in 2007, winning Wimbledon and repeating the feat in 2008. In 2010, she climbed back to world No. 2 in singles before injuries struck again. Starting in 2014, she gradually regained her form, culminating in two major final appearances in 2017 at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
All 14 of Venus’s women’s doubles major titles came with Serena, and the pair have never lost a major doubles final. She first became world No. 1 in doubles on June 7, 2010, alongside Serena, after they completed a non-calendar-year Grand Slam at the French Open. The sisters also won three Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles (2000, 2008, and 2012), adding to Venus’s singles gold in 2000 and a mixed doubles silver in 2016. Venus has also won two mixed doubles major titles, bringing her total to 23 major titles across all disciplines.
The Williams sisters are widely recognized for bringing a new level of power and athleticism to women’s tennis. Venus led the tour in prize money in 2001 and again in 2017, and as of November 2025, she ranks fourth all-time in career earnings, with over $42 million.
Venus was born in Lynwood, California, to Richard Williams and Oracene Price. Besides Serena, she has three maternal half-sis
- born
- June 17, 1980, Lynwood, California
- field
- Professional tennis player
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Seven singles major titles, 14 women's doubles major titles with Serena Williams, first African-American woman to reach world No. 1 in singles in the Open era
Lore & Background
Venus Williams turned professional on October 31, 1994, at age 14. She reached her first major final as a 17-year-old at the 1997 US Open, losing to Martina Hingis. In both 2000 and 2001, she claimed the Wimbledon and US Open titles, as well as Olympic singles gold at the Sydney Olympics. She first reached the singles world No. 1 ranking on February 25, 2002, becoming the first African-American woman to do so in the Open era, and the second of all time after Althea Gibson. Williams reached four consecutive major finals between 2002 and 2003, but lost each time to her sister Serena. She then suffered from injuries, winning just one major title between 2003 and 2006. Williams returned to form starting in 2007, when she won Wimbledon (a feat she repeated the following year). In 2010, she returned to the world No. 2 position in singles, but then suffered again from injuries. Starting in 2014, she gradually returned to form, culminating in two major final appearances in 2017 at the Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships.
Reader's Guide
Venus Williams's significance lies in her pioneering achievements and her role, alongside her sister Serena, in transforming women's tennis. She was the first African-American woman to reach world No. 1 in singles in the Open era, and she accumulated seven singles majors, 14 women's doubles majors (all with Serena, with whom she is unbeaten in major doubles finals), and three Olympic gold medals in doubles. Her career was marked by periods of dominance—notably 2000–2001 and 2007–2008—interrupted by injuries. Williams also won two mixed doubles majors for a combined total of 23 major titles. She was twice the season prize money leader (2001 and 2017) and ranks fourth in all-time career prize money, earning over US$42 million as of November 2025. The Williams sisters are widely credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism in women's tennis.
Did You Know?
- Venus Williams turned professional on October 31, 1994, at age 14.
- She first reached world No. 1 in singles on February 25, 2002, becoming the first African-American woman to do so in the Open era.
- She and her sister Serena have won 14 women's doubles major titles together and are unbeaten in major doubles finals.
- Williams won Olympic gold medals in singles (2000) and women's doubles (2000, 2008, 2012), plus a mixed doubles silver in 2016.
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