Queen Vee serves it up
Date Published: 6/21/2023
“I don't focus on what I'm up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest.”~Venus Williams
Venus Williams rolled back the years as she battled to an impressive WTA win against Camila Giorgi in the Rothesay Classic recently.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion loves the grass, and it showed Monday in her vintage performance.
She didn't take the win lightly, celebrating with big smiles and fist pumps before expressing what the showing meant to her in a post-match interview.
"Hey everyone, it's nice to see you guys. I haven't been here in a few years and not because I didn't want to be, I just wasn't really on tour," she said with a laugh.
The five-time Wimbledon singles champion was out for six months with a hamstring injury she sustained in Auckland.
"This is great for me. I haven't played a lot of matches and it's great to come through. I found my serve at 120 miles per hour, and I thought, there your are! I haven’t seen you lately!” she added.
The 43-year-old had been away from the court for six months after suffering a hamstring injury, before making her return to action last week.
However, this didn’t stop the world No. 697 from returning to form and notching her first win against a top 50 opponent since 2019.
Ms. Williams has now received a wildcard to compete in Birmingham in what will be her second appearance at the venue. She made it to the quarterfinals in her only previous showing here in 2019.
This marks the first time in her career that the American will be participating in two warm-up events in the lead-up to Wimbledon.
While both Venus and Serena have earned numerous championship titles, Venus was the first to plunge into the professional world of tennis. Decades of training and practice have earned her seven major titles, including five Wimbledon championships, and four Olympic gold medals. And now her dedication to a healthier world, via sports and philanthropy, is reaching far and wide. Her advocacy for equality, and fighting for equal rights for female athletes, prompted the United Nations’ cultural organization, UNESCO, to name her the first "Promoter of Gender Equality."
Venus uses her global recognition to pay it forward through humanitarian work with several organizations. One notable initiative is with the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program (HJTEP), which allows youth to play tennis; learn life skills like sportsmanship and self-discipline, social and emotional competence; and teaches them how to lead healthy lives. Venus, who recently partnered with Clif Bar to donate funds to HTJEP, says that it’s critical to help provide opportunities to underserved communities that are similar to the one she grew up in California. “It is our duty to empower youth at a grassroots level, especially when we can pair education with sport,” she says, adding that the HJTEP participants walk away with much more than tennis skills. “They are learning valuable life lessons just like I did.”
In addition to her humanitarian work, Venus has an artistic side that inspires as well. Fashion has been a longtime passion and has culminated in her clothing line, EleVen, and an interior design brand, V Starr, both born from her love for design and creativity. “From a young age, my mom stressed that we should all find ways to diversify our interests, and design was always one of mine,” Venus says. “I love helping women feel empowered through my lifestyle and activewear brand, EleVen. And I love creating beautiful spaces through my interior design firm, V Starr. I can’t believe how far each has come and am excited to see what the next year brings.”
Thanks for reading and we welcome your comments below.
Akasha Lin
Akasha Garnier for #TheWishwall
Author, Brand Expert, Filmmaker
http://www.akashagarnier.com
#ShineThroughtheNoise
Read more from Future Entrepreneurs: http://thewishwall.org/future- entrepreneurs
Article inspo/stats/image: Sports Illustrated
Venus Williams rolled back the years as she battled to an impressive WTA win against Camila Giorgi in the Rothesay Classic recently.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion loves the grass, and it showed Monday in her vintage performance.
She didn't take the win lightly, celebrating with big smiles and fist pumps before expressing what the showing meant to her in a post-match interview.
"Hey everyone, it's nice to see you guys. I haven't been here in a few years and not because I didn't want to be, I just wasn't really on tour," she said with a laugh.
The five-time Wimbledon singles champion was out for six months with a hamstring injury she sustained in Auckland.
"This is great for me. I haven't played a lot of matches and it's great to come through. I found my serve at 120 miles per hour, and I thought, there your are! I haven’t seen you lately!” she added.
The 43-year-old had been away from the court for six months after suffering a hamstring injury, before making her return to action last week.
However, this didn’t stop the world No. 697 from returning to form and notching her first win against a top 50 opponent since 2019.
Ms. Williams has now received a wildcard to compete in Birmingham in what will be her second appearance at the venue. She made it to the quarterfinals in her only previous showing here in 2019.
This marks the first time in her career that the American will be participating in two warm-up events in the lead-up to Wimbledon.
While both Venus and Serena have earned numerous championship titles, Venus was the first to plunge into the professional world of tennis. Decades of training and practice have earned her seven major titles, including five Wimbledon championships, and four Olympic gold medals. And now her dedication to a healthier world, via sports and philanthropy, is reaching far and wide. Her advocacy for equality, and fighting for equal rights for female athletes, prompted the United Nations’ cultural organization, UNESCO, to name her the first "Promoter of Gender Equality."
Venus uses her global recognition to pay it forward through humanitarian work with several organizations. One notable initiative is with the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program (HJTEP), which allows youth to play tennis; learn life skills like sportsmanship and self-discipline, social and emotional competence; and teaches them how to lead healthy lives. Venus, who recently partnered with Clif Bar to donate funds to HTJEP, says that it’s critical to help provide opportunities to underserved communities that are similar to the one she grew up in California. “It is our duty to empower youth at a grassroots level, especially when we can pair education with sport,” she says, adding that the HJTEP participants walk away with much more than tennis skills. “They are learning valuable life lessons just like I did.”
In addition to her humanitarian work, Venus has an artistic side that inspires as well. Fashion has been a longtime passion and has culminated in her clothing line, EleVen, and an interior design brand, V Starr, both born from her love for design and creativity. “From a young age, my mom stressed that we should all find ways to diversify our interests, and design was always one of mine,” Venus says. “I love helping women feel empowered through my lifestyle and activewear brand, EleVen. And I love creating beautiful spaces through my interior design firm, V Starr. I can’t believe how far each has come and am excited to see what the next year brings.”
Thanks for reading and we welcome your comments below.
Akasha Lin
Akasha Garnier for #TheWishwall
Author, Brand Expert, Filmmaker
http://www.akashagarnier.com
#ShineThroughtheNoise
Read more from Future Entrepreneurs: http://thewishwall.org/future- entrepreneurs
Article inspo/stats/image: Sports Illustrated
