Personal

Coached by father Richard Williams and mother Oracene Price
Sisters are Serena, Isha (lawyer, singer), Lyndrea (actress, singer, stylist, computer science major) and Yetunde (deceased September 14, 2003); is a Jehovah's Witness, along with sisters and mother
Full name is Venus Ebony Starr Williams
After being diagnosed with Sjögren's Syndrome in 2011, adopted a vegan/raw foods diet to help decrease inflammation in her body and reduce energy-sapping symptoms of the disease (is a self-described "cheagan")
Interior design company is V Starr Interiors (www.vstarrinteriors.com); clothing line is EleVen; has written several books, most recently "Come To Win" in 2010
Favorite tennis players growing up included Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and Monica Seles; favorite players now include Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils and Bernard Tomic
Loves karaoke (favorite songs to sing are 6 Underground by the Sneaker Pimps, Stupid Girl by Garbage, Call Me by Blondie, Gold Dust Woman by Fleetwood Mac, Tom Sawyer by Rush and Barracuda by Heart)
Favorite books include "I Am Number Four" by Pittacus Lore, the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull, the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, comic books (especially DC) and the Bible
Favorite cities are Palm Beach Gardens, Rome, Hong Kong and Paris
Favorite designers are Ralph Lauren, Armani, Matthew Williamson and Dolce & Gabbana
Also enjoys art, Asian antiques, dancing, writing poetry, sewing, studying new subjects, getting the mail and receiving packages, being at home and playing the guitar

Career Highlights

SINGLES
Winner: (49): 2016 - Kaohsiung; 2015 - Auckland, Wuhan, Zhuhai; 2014 - Dubai; 2012 - Luxembourg; 2010 - Dubai, Acapulco; 2009 - Dubai, Acapulco; 2008 - Wimbledon, Zürich, WTA Finals; 2007 - Memphis, Wimbledon, Seoul; 2005 - Istanbul, Wimbledon; 2004 - Charleston, Warsaw; 2003 - Antwerp; 2002 - Gold Coast, Paris [Indoors], Antwerp, Amelia Island, Stanford, San Diego, New Haven; 2001 - Miami, Hamburg, Wimbledon, San Diego, New Haven, US Open; 2000 - Wimbledon, Stanford, San Diego, New Haven, US Open, Olympics; 1999 - Oklahoma City, Miami, Hamburg, Rome, New Haven, Zürich; 1998 - Oklahoma City, Miami, Grand Slam Cup.
Finalist (34): 2017 - Australian Open, Wimbledon, WTA Finals; 2016 - Stanford; 2014 - Auckland, Montréal, Québec City; 2010 - Miami, Madrid; 2009 - Wimbledon, Stanford, WTA Finals; 2007 - Tokyo [Japan Open]; 2005 - Antwerp, Stanford; 2004 - Berlin, Stanford; 2003 - Australian Open, Warsaw, Wimbledon; 2002 - Hamburg, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open; 2000 - Linz; 1999 - Hannover, Stanford, San Diego, Grand Slam Cup; 1998 - Sydney, Rome, Stanford, Zürich; 1997 - US Open.

DOUBLES
Winner: (22): 2016 - Wimbledon (w/S.Williams); 2012 - Wimbledon, Olympics (both w/S.Williams); 2010 - Australian Open, Madrid, Roland Garros (all w/S.Williams); 2009 - Australian Open, Wimbledon, Stanford, US Open (all w/S.Williams); 2008 - Wimbledon, Olympics (both w/S.Williams); 2003 - Australian Open (w/S.Williams); 2002 - Wimbledon (w/S.Williams); 2001 - Australian Open (w/S.Williams); 2000 - Wimbledon, Olympics (both w/S.Williams); 1999 - Hannover, Roland Garros, US Open (all w/S.Williams); 1998 - Oklahoma City, Zürich (both w/S.Williams).
Finalist (1): 1999 - San Diego (w/S.Williams).

MIXED DOUBLES
Winner (2): 1998 - Australian Open, Roland Garros (both w/Gimelstob).
Finalist (2): 2016 - Olympics (w/Ram); 2006 - Wimbledon (w/B.Bryan).

ADDITIONAL
American Fed Cup Team, 1999, 2003-05, 2007, 2012-13, 2015-16, 2018; American Olympic Team, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016.

Career in Review

2019 - 22nd Top 100 season (finishing No.53); QF four times at Auckland (l. to Andreescu), Indian Wells (l. to Kerber), Birmingham (l. to Barty) and Cincinnati (l. to Keys); reached 4r once, 3r twice (incl. Australian Open) and 2r twice (incl. US Open); fell 1r six times (incl. other two majors).

2018 - Another Top 50 season (finishing No.40); SF at Indian Wells (l. to Kasatkina); QF twice at Miami (l. to Collins) and San Jose (l. to Sakkari); reached 3r four times (incl. Wimbledon and US Open) and 2r once; fell 1r three times (incl. other two majors).

2017 - Thirteenth Top 10 season of career (finishing No.5); runner-up three times at Australian Open (l. to S.Williams), Wimbledon (l. to Muguruza) and WTA FInals (l. to Wozniacki in final); SF twice at Miami (l. to Konta) and US Open (l. to Stephens); QF twice at Indian Wells (l. to Vesnina) and Rome (l. to Muguruza); reached 4r once (Roland Garros), 3r once and 2r five times; started season at No.17 and broke back into Top 10 on April 3 and Top 5 on September 11; also won 14th Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon (w/S.Williams)

2016 - Another Top 20 season (finishing No.17); won one WTA title at Kaohsiung (d. Doi in final); runner-up at Stanford (l. to Konta); SF at Wimbledon (l. to Kerber); reached 4r twice at Roland Garros and US Open, 3r three times and 2r four times; fell 1r four times (incl. Australian Open and Olympics); struggled with illness.

2015 - Twelfth Top 10 season of career and first since 2010 (finishing No.7); won three WTA titles at Auckland (d. Wozniacki in final), Wuhan (won when Muguruza ret. in final w/ankle injury) and Zhuhai (d. Ka.Pliskova in final); SF twice at Doha (l. to Azarenka) and Hong Kong (l. to Jankovic); QF three times at Australian Open (l. to Keys), Miami (l. to Suarez Navarro) and US Open (l. to S.Williams); reached 4r once (Wimbledon), 3r twice and 2r twice; fell 1r four times (incl. Roland Garros); started season at No.19 and broke back into Top 10 on November 9 year-end rankings (after Zhuhai; rose from No.11 to No.7).

2014 - Another Top 20 season (finishing No.19); won one WTA title at Dubai (d. Cornet in final); runner-up three times at Auckland (l. to Ivanovic), Montréal (l. to A.Radwanska) and Québec City (l. to Lucic-Baroni); QF at Stanford (l. to Petkovic); reached 4r once, 3r four times (incl. Wimbledon and US Open) and 2r three times (incl. Roland Garros and Doha - l. to Kvitova 62 26 76(7); held mp at 7-6 in third set tie-break); fell 1r three times (incl. Australian Open and Wuhan - l. to Garcia 64 46 76(6); held 1mp at 5-3 third set); struggled with illness throughout season (withdrew from Kuala Lumpur and Madrid and prior to 3r match at Beijing).

2013 - Another Top 50 season (finishing No.49); SF three times at Florianopolis (l. to Puchkova), Charleston (l. to S.Williams) and Tokyo [Pan Pacific] (l. to Kvitova); reached 3r twice (incl. Australian Open) and 2r three times (incl. US Open); fell 1r three times (incl. Roland Garros); struggled w/low back injury throughout season (withdrew from Paris [Indoors], prior to Miami 3r match and from Madrid, Wimbledon and Bastad).

2012 - Strong comeback season from illness (was No.134 in first event played but finished No.24); did not play until mid-March due to illness (withdrew from Auckland, Australian Open and Kuala Lumpur); QF or better in five of 10 events played after return, best results being 44th WTA title at Luxembourg (d. Niculescu in final), SF at Cincinnati (l. to Li) and QF three times at Miami, Charleston and Rome; reached 3r once (Olympics), 2r three times (incl. Roland Garros, US Open) and fell 1r once (Wimbledon); also won 13th Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon and third Olympic doubles gold medal (both w/S.Williams); withdrew from Beijing w/back injury.

2011 - First non-Top 100 finish since 1996 after injury and illness-marred season (finishing No.103); started at No.5 but injury problems began at Australian Open (ret. vs. Petkovic in 3r w/hip injury - first retirement ever at a Grand Slam); withdrew from Dubai w/hip injury and from Miami, Madrid, Rome, Brussels and Roland Garros w/abdominal injury; returned in June and went 5-2 during grass court season, reaching QF at Eastbourne (l. to Hantuchova) and 4r at Wimbledon (l. to Pironkova); withdrew from Toronto and Cincinnati w/illness and those problems continued at US Open (d. Dolonts in 1r but withdrew prior to 2r match vs. Lisicki w/Sjögren's Syndrome); missed rest of season w/Sjögren's Syndrome (withdrew from Tokyo [Pan Pacific] and Beijing).

2010 - Sixth Top 5 season (finishing No.5); won two WTA titles at Dubai (d. Azarenka in final) and Acapulco (d. Hercog in final); runner-up twice at Miami (l. to Clijsters in final) and Madrid (l. to Rezai in final); SF once (US Open); QF three times (incl. Australian Open, Wimbledon); reached 4r once (Roland Garros); won three WTA doubles titles (all w/S.Williams - incl. 11th and 12th Grand Slam doubles titles at Australian Open and Wimbledon); rose to No.1 in doubles on June 7 (co-No.1s in doubles w/S.Williams; they were third pair ever to simultaneously occupy Top 2 spots in both singles and doubles, after Hingis/Novotna and Hingis/Davenport); struggled with knee injury throughout season (withdrew from Stuttgart, Cincinnati, Montréal, Beijing and WTA Finals).

2009 - Another Top 10 season (finishing No.6); won two WTA titles at Dubai (d. Razzano in final) and Acapulco (d. Pennetta in final); runner-up three times at Wimbledon (l. to S.Williams in final), Stanford (l. to Bartoli in final) and WTA Finals (l. to S.Williams in final); SF twice; reached 4r once (US Open), 3r three times (incl. Roland Garros) and 2r five times (incl. Australian Open - l. to Suárez Navarro 26 63 75; led 5-2 third set w/mp at 5-4); won four WTA doubles titles (all w/S.Williams - incl. eighth, ninth and 10th Grand Slam doubles titles at Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open).

2008 - Another Top 10 season (finishing No.6); won three WTA titles at Wimbledon (seventh Grand Slam title; d. S.Williams in final), Zürich (d. Pennetta in final) and WTA Finals (d. Zvonareva in final); SF twice (incl. Bangalore - l. to S.Williams 63 36 76(4); held mp at 6-5 third set); QF five times (incl. Australian Open, Olympics and US Open); reached 3r twice (incl. Roland Garros); fell 1r twice; won two WTA doubles titles (both w/S.Williams - incl. seventh Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon and Olympics).

2007 - Another Top 10 season (finishing No.8); won three WTA titles at Memphis (d. Peer in final), Wimbledon (sixth Grand Slam title; d. Bartoli in final; lowest-ranked and lowest-seeded player to win Wimbledon, ranked No.31 and seeded No.16) and Seoul (d. Kirilenko in final); runner-up once (Tokyo [Japan Open] - l. to Razzano 46 76(7) 64 in final; held 3mp at 6-3 in tie-break); SF three times (incl. US Open); QF three times (incl. San Diego - l. to Chakvetadze 67(5) 76(3) 62; held mp at 76(5) 53); reached 3r twice (incl. Roland Garros) and 2r once; withdrew from Australian Open w/left wrist injury and from WTA Finals w/illness.

2006 - Injury-marred season resulting in lowest finish in 10 years (finished No.48); fell 1r at Australian Open (l. to Pironkova) then missed three months w/right elbow and wrist injuries (withdrew from Antwerp, Dubai, Miami and Charleston); went 12-4 in clay and grass court seasons (QF at Warsaw, SF at Rome, QF at Roland Garros, 3r at Wimbledon) then missed another three months w/left wrist injury (withdrew from San Diego, Los Angeles, Montréal and US Open); reached 2r at only other event played at Luxembourg (l. to A.Radwanska) then missed rest of season w/left wrist injury (withdrew from Stuttgart and Moscow).

2005 - Another Top 10 season (finishing No.10); won two WTA titles at Istanbul (d. Vaidisova in final) and Wimbledon (fifth Grand Slam title; d. Davenport in final; saved mp down 5-4 third set in longest final ever there - 2h45m); runner-up twice at Antwerp (l. to Mauresmo in final) and Stanford (l. to Clijsters in final); SF once; QF three times (incl. US Open); reached 4r once (Australian Open) and 3r twice (incl. Roland Garros); fell 1r once; struggled with illness during summer (withdrew from Stockholm and Toronto) and left knee injury in fall (withdrew prior to Beijing QF and missed Guangzhou, Filderstadt, Moscow, Zürich and Philadelphia).

2004 - Another Top 10 season (finishing No.9); won two WTA titles at Charleston (d. Martínez in final) and Warsaw (d. Kuznetsova in final); runner-up twice at Berlin (withdrew prior to final vs. Mauresmo w/left ankle sprain) and Stanford (l. to Davenport in final); SF once; QF seven times (incl. Roland Garros); reached 4r once (US Open), 3r twice (Australian Open, Olympics) and 2r once (Wimbledon).

2003 - Near-Top 10 season (finishing No.11); won one WTA title at Antwerp (d. Clijsters in final); runner-up three times at Australian Open (l. to S.Williams in final - fourth straight Grand Slam final together), Warsaw (ret. vs. Mauresmo in final w/abdominal injury) and Wimbledon (l. to S.Williams in final); reached 4r twice (incl. Roland Garros); abdominal injury from Warsaw caused withdrawals from Berlin and Rome, and after reaggravating it in Wimbledon SF missed rest of season (incl. withdrawing from US Open and WTA Finals); won one WTA doubles title earlier in season (w/S.Williams - sixth Grand Slam doubles title at Australian Open).

2002 - Best season to date (finishing No.2); won seven WTA titles at Gold Coast (d. Henin in final), Paris [Indoors] (received w/o from Dokic in final), Antwerp (d. Henin in final), Amelia Island (d. Henin in final), Stanford (d. Clijsters in final), San Diego (d. Dokic in final) and New Haven (d. Davenport in final); runner-up four times at Hamburg (l. to Clijsters in final), Roland Garros (l. to S.Williams in final), Wimbledon (l. to S.Williams in final) and US Open (l. to S.Williams in final); SF three times (incl. WTA Finals); QF once (Australian Open); reached 2r once; reached No.1 for first time on February 25 (held No.1 for 11 weeks, going back and forth with Capriati until S.Williams took over on July 8); on June 10 were first siblings ever to be Top 2 at same time (V.Williams No.1, S.Williams No.2); won one WTA doubles title (w/S.Williams - fifth Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon).

2001 - Another Top 3 season (finishing No.3); won six WTA titles at Miami (d. Capriati in final; saved 8mp), Hamburg (d. Shaughnessy in final), Wimbledon (third Grand Slam title; d. Henin in final), San Diego (d. Seles in final), New Haven (d. Davenport in final) and US Open (fourth Grand Slam title; d. S.Williams in final - first time sisters played each other in a Grand Slam final since Watson sisters at 1884 Wimbledon); SF three times (incl. Australian Open); QF once; reached 3r once; fell 1r once (Roland Garros); reached No.2 for first time on April 2 (after Miami); won one WTA doubles title (w/S.Williams - fourth Grand Slam doubles title at Australian Open); withdrew from WTA Finals w/left wrist injury.

2000 - Another Top 3 season (finishing No.3); missed first four months of season w/tendonitis in both wrists (incl. withdrawing from Australian Open); struggled upon return, going 6-3 in three clay court events with best run being QF at Roland Garros (l. to Sánchez-Vicario); but then went on 35-match, six-tournament winning streak, winning first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon (d. Davenport in final), Stanford (d. Davenport in final), San Diego (d. Seles in final), New Haven (d. Seles in final), second Grand Slam title at US Open (d. Davenport in final) and Olympics (d. Dementieva in final); winning streak snapped in only post-Olympics event, finishing runner-up at Linz (l. to Davenport in final); streak remains longest of millenium; withdrew from WTA Finals w/anemia; won two WTA doubles titles (both w/S.Williams - incl. third Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon and Olympics).

1999 - First Top 3 season (finishing No.3); won six WTA titles at Oklahoma City (d. Coetzer in final), Miami (d. S.Williams in final - first sisters ever to meet in a WTA final), Hamburg (d. Pierce in final), Rome (d. Pierce in final), New Haven (d. Davenport in final) and Zürich (d. Hingis in final); runner-up four times at Hannover (l. to Novotna in final), Stanford (l. to Davenport in final), San Diego (l. to Hingis in final) and Grand Slam Cup (l. to S.Williams in final); SF three times (incl. US Open and WTA Finals); QF three times (incl. Australian Open and Wimbledon); reached 4r once (Roland Garros - l. to Schwartz 26 76(7) 63; held 3mp at 62 54) and 2r once; reached No.4 in the world for first time on July 5 (after Wimbledon) and No.3 in the world for first time on August 30 (after New Haven); S.Williams won Paris [Indoors] while V.Williams won Oklahoma City, making them first sisters to win WTA titles in same week; and with S.Williams reaching Top 10 on April 5, first sisters to be ranked inside Top 10 at same time since April 22, 1991 (Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière and Katerina Maleeva); won three WTA doubles titles (all w/S.Williams - incl. first two Grand Slam doubles titles at Roland Garros and US Open).

1998 - First Top 5 season (finishing No.5); won three WTA titles at Oklahoma City (d. Kruger in final), Miami (d. Kournikova in final) and Grand Slam Cup (d. Schnyder in final); runner-up four times at Sydney (l. to Sánchez-Vicario in final), Rome (l. to Hingis in final) Stanford (l. to Davenport in final) and Zürich (l. to Davenport in final); SF three times (incl. US Open); QF four times (incl. other three majors); reached 2r twice; made Top 20 debut on January 19 (after Sydney; rose from No.21 to No.16), Top 10 debut on March 30 (after Miami; rose from No.11 to No.10) and Top 5 debut on July 27 (rose from No.6 to No.5); won first two WTA doubles titles (both w/S.Williams - third pair of sisters to win a WTA doubles title together); won first two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles at Australian Open and Roland Garros (both w/Gimelstob); S.Williams won Wimbledon and US Open (both w/Mirnyi) for a family mixed doubles Grand Slam; withdrew from WTA Finals w/left knee injury.

1997 - Breakthrough first full season on tour (finishing No.22); reached first Grand Slam final at US Open (l. to Hingis - final between 16-year-old Hingis and 17-year-old V.Williams was youngest Grand Slam final in Open Era); QF three times; reached 3r once and 2r five times (incl. Roland Garros); fell 1r three times (incl. Wimbledon) and in qualifying once; made Top 100 debut on April 14 (after Amelia Island; rose from No.102 to No.86) and Top 50 debut on September 8 (after US Open; rose from No.66 to No.27).

1996 - Reached 3r once; fell 1r four times.

1995 - QF at Oakland; fell 1r twice.

1994 - Made professional debut at Oakland, reaching 2r (as unranked WC, l. to World No.2 Sánchez-Vicario 26 63 60; led 62 31); was only event of season.