Besties, business partners and teammates, Venus and Serena Williams are continuously breaking records as successful black business women on and off the tennis court. Off the court the duo became the first black women to own a franchise team, Miami Dolphins in 2009. They are also active in philanthropy and social activism. On the court, ladies have the most Grand Slam titles than any other active player. Venus and Serena also break records individually as well. In the brief synopsis’ that follows, we detail what makes these ladies Unlimited Whispers’ black heroes of the day.
We start with the eldest of the duo,Venus Ebony Starr Williams. Venus, was born June 17, 1980 and is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 133 as of 30th January 2012 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association on three separate occasions. She became the World No. 1 for the first time on February 25, 2002, becoming the first black woman to achieve this feat during the open era.
Her 21 Grand Slam titles ties her for twelfth on the all time list and is more than any other active female player except for her younger sister Serena Williams. Venus Williams’ titles consist of: seven in singles, twelve in women’s doubles, and two in mixed doubles. Those seven Grand Slam singles titles ties her with four other women for twelfth place on the all-time list. Her five Wimbledon singles titles ties her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list. Venus Williams is one of only three women in the open era to have won five or more Wimbledon singles titles. From the 2000 Wimbledon Championships through the 2001 US Open, Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments held. She is one of only five women in the open era to win 200 or more main draw Grand Slam singles matches.
Williams has won three Olympic gold medals, one in singles and two in women’s doubles. She has won more Olympic gold medals than any other female tennis player. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games, after Helen Wills Moody in 1924.
With 43 career singles titles, Williams leads active players on the WTA Tour. Her 35-match winning streak from the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the longest winning streak since January 1, 2000. She is also one of only two active WTA players to have made the finals of all four Grand Slams, the other player being her sister Serena Williams.
Venus Williams has played against her sister Serena Williams in 23 professional matches since 1998, with Serena winning 13 of the 23 matches. They have played against each other in eight Grand Slam singles finals, with Serena winning six times. Beginning with the 2002 French Open, they opposed each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, the first time ever in the open era that the same two players played against each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, let alone sisters. On the doubles side, the pair have won 12 Grand Slam doubles titles playing alongside each other.
In her four prior appearances in Charleston, Williams has accumulated an impressive 11-3 record. In 2004, she captured the Cup title as the number four seed, defeating two-time Champion Conchita Martinez in the final.
The event will be held from March 31 through April 8 at the Family Circle Cup Tennis Center on Daniel Island.
Personal life
Venus for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s “National Wear Red Day”
On December 13, 2007, Williams received her associate degree in Fashion Design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with Cum Laude honors and a 3.5 GPA.
Beginning the fall 2011 semester, William’s began pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the school of business through an online degree program at Indiana University East in Richmond, Indiana. Her ultimate goal is to get an MBA in the near future.
Williams’s longtime boyfriend, pro golfer Hank Kuehne, had been a visible presence since Wimbledon 2007, holding her hand during long rain delays and clapping support from the players’ box along with her parents and younger sister Serena. “He’s a great guy”, Williams said. “He understands competition. He’s very supportive. I love having him here and everyone else in the box, too.” After rumors of engagement, the couple broke up in 2010, after which Kuehne dated and (in May 2011) married his current wife Andy.
In 2003, Venus and Serena Williams’s older sister Yetunde Price, 31, was shot dead in Compton, California near the courts on which the sisters once practiced. Price was the Williams sisters’ personal assistant. The Williams family issued this statement shortly after the death: “We are extremely shocked, saddened and devastated by the shooting death of our beloved Yetunde. She was our nucleus and our rock. She was a personal assistant, confidante, and adviser to her sisters, and her death leaves a void that can never be filled. Our grief is overwhelming, and this is the saddest day of our lives.”[47]
Williams said her family’s faith as Jehovah’s Witnesses has helped her tremendously.[48]
In 2011, Williams was forced to withdraw from the US Open before her second-round match, following a Sjögren’s syndrome diagnosis.
Entrepreneur
Williams in July 2010
Williams is the chief executive officer of her interior design firm “V Starr Interiors” located in Jupiter, Florida. Williams’s company designed the set of the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS, the Olympic athletes’ apartments as part of New York City’s failed bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, and residences and businesses in the Palm Beach, Florida area.
In 2001, Williams was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by the Ladies Home Journal.[50]
In 2007, Williams teamed with retailer Steve & Barry’s to launch her own fashion line EleVen. “I love fashion and the idea that I am using my design education to actually create clothing and footwear that I will wear on and off the tennis court is a dream come true for me. The vision has been to create a collection that will allow women to enjoy an active lifestyle while remaining fashionable at the same time. I’m thrilled with everything we’ve created to launch EleVen.”[51][52]
In June 2009, Venus was named 77th in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities compiled by Forbes magazine.
In August 2009, Venus Williams became part-owners of the Miami Dolphins with sister Serena Williams. The announcement was made during a press conference overlooking the practice field. This made Venus and indeed her sister Serena the first African-American females to obtain ownership in an NFL franchise. Stephan Ross, the majority owner of the Dolphins, said “We are thrilled to have Venus and Serena join the Dolphins as limited partners. They are among the most admired athletes in the world and have become global ambassadors for the game of tennis. Their addition to our ownership group further reflects our commitment to connect with aggressively and embrace the great diversity that makes South Florida a multicultural gem.”
In late June 2010, Venus Williams released her first book, entitled “Come to Win; on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession” which she co-wrote with Kelly E. Carter. In promotion of the book she embarked on a tour around America in support of the release, whilst also appearing on several talk shows including The Early Show and Good Morning America. This gave her a place on the top 5 The New York Times Best Seller List.
Recognition
In 2005 Tennis Magazine ranked her as the 25th-best player in 40 years in a controversial article. Since this ranking, however, she has won an additional three Grand Slam singles titles.
In June 2011, she was named one of the “30 Legends of Women’s Tennis: Past, Present and Future” by Time.
Now on to Serena:
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