Former tennis number 1 Venus Williams, winner of 7 Grand Slam singles titles, celebrated her 46th birthday yesterday, June 17.
The star was born in 1980 in Lynwood, California. She grew up in an extremely specific and strictly controlled family environment, which predetermined her success.
She is the daughter of Richard Williams and Oracin Price. Venus has one younger and full-blood sister - tennis legend Serena Williams (born 15 months after her). From her mother's previous marriage, she has three half-sisters: Yetunde (tragically killed in 2003), Isha and Lindrea. Her father Richard has at least seven more children from other relationships.
Before the sisters were even born, Richard Williams watched a tennis match on television and saw the huge prize money. He wrote a 78-page plan on how he would turn his future children into the greatest tennis players. When Venus was 3 years old, her father moved the family to Compton - one of the most dangerous and poor suburbs of Los Angeles at the time. Richard did this deliberately so that the harsh environment, shootings and hardships could harden the girls' psyche. The sisters are homeschooled by their parents and spend days and nights practicing on broken courts.
Venus is not just a tennis legend, but a true pioneer whose life off the court is filled with surprising business successes, personal battles and little-known acts of rebellion.
Here are the most interesting, scandalous and little-known facts about the eldest of the Williams sisters:
Graduated designer and master's degree - Unlike many athletes, Venus attaches great importance to education. She has a bachelor's degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, and later completed a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from Indiana University.
Successful businesswoman - She is the founder of the successful interior design firm V Starr Interiors, which designs offices and hotels in the United States. She also has her own sportswear line called EleVen.
Jehovah's Witness – Venus and Serena were raised in this religion by their mother and both continue to practice it. For this reason, they do not celebrate birthdays (although today is an occasion) or traditional holidays such as Christmas.
First African-American No. 1 – On February 25, 2002, she became the first black woman in the "Open Era" to reach No. 1 in the world tennis rankings.
Battle with Sjögren's Syndrome – In 2011, Venus was diagnosed with this autoimmune disease, which causes chronic fatigue, joint pain, and dryness. This forced her to completely change her diet and switch to raw veganism, which she says saved her career.
Co-owner of an NFL team - In 2009, Venus and Serena bought a small stake in the American football team Miami Dolphins, becoming the first black women to own an NFL club.
Wrote a best-selling book - She is the author of the book “Come to Win“ (2010), in which she interviewed successful leaders and businesspeople about how their sportsmanship helped them in their careers.
The tragic accident of 2017 - Venus was involved in a serious car accident in Florida, in which a 78-year-old man died. Initially, the police charged her, but after reviewing the video footage from the cameras, it became clear that she had entered the intersection completely legally and the charges were dropped. The case was settled out of court with the deceased's relatives.
The fight for equal prize money - Venus has been waging a long and aggressive war with the organizers of Wimbledon to equalize the fees between men and women. In 2006, she wrote a devastating essay in The Times, accusing the tournament of sexism, and in 2007 Wimbledon finally capitulated and equalized the prizes.
The "bead" scandal - Early in their careers, the Williams sisters wore iconic braids with white beads. At the 1999 Australian Open, 14-year-old Venus's beads fell off the court during a match, leading to a penalty and a point being deducted by the umpire. Her father, Richard Williams, then publicly accused the tennis association of racism.
Venus Williams is happily married. Her husband is Italian actor, model and producer Andrea Preti, who is 8 years her junior. The two met at a Gucci fashion show in Milan in 2024. Their relationship developed quickly and Preti became the main inspiration for Venus to return to the court at the age of 45. They got engaged in Tuscany and had two wedding ceremonies. The first was a lavish celebration in Ischia, Italy in September, and the second - in December in Palm Beach, Florida, accompanied by 5-day parties organized by her sister Serena. This is the first and only marriage for the tennis player, who for many years claimed in interviews that she felt great alone and had no intention of getting married. Venus Williams has no children of her own. She herself says that she is extremely dedicated to her career, business and her role as the "favorite aunt" to Serena Williams' two daughters.