Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player who turned pro at age 14 and went on to win seven Grand Slam singles titles.
She became the first African American woman in the Open Era to reach the world No. 1 ranking and has won four Olympic gold medals across her career.
Who is Venus Williams?
Venus Williams stands among the most accomplished tennis players in history. Her seven Grand Slam singles titles, five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open, place her among women’s tennis royalty.
On February 25, 2002, she became the first African American woman in the Open Era to hold the WTA world No. 1 singles ranking.
Her power game, explosive serve, and agility around the net redefined women’s tennis alongside her sister Serena.
Beyond the court, she built a business portfolio that includes an interior design firm, an activewear brand, and a fashion degree. She holds the record for the fastest serve struck by a woman in a main draw event.
TIME magazine included her in its list of “30 Legends of Women’s Tennis: Past, Present and Future.” She has also appeared on the Forbes Top 100 Celebrity list.
Early Life of Venus Williams
Venus Williams Age
Venus Williams is 46 years old as of 2026, born on June 17, 1980. Her zodiac sign is Gemini.
She returned to professional tennis in 2025 after a 16-month hiatus and has continued competing into the 2026 season.
Venus Williams Ethnicity and Nationality
Venus Williams is American, born in Lynwood, California. She is African American. Her family settled in Compton, California, where she and sister Serena trained on public courts amid challenging conditions.
Venus Ebony Starr Williams was born on June 17, 1980, in Lynwood, California, to Richard Williams and Oracene Price. She was the fourth of five daughters.
The family relocated to Compton when Venus was young. Her father, Richard Williams, coached her and her sister Serena on the local public courts, using methods he studied from books and videos.
Richard moved the family to West Palm Beach, Florida, when Venus was eleven. There, she and Serena joined the academy of coach Rick Macci, who recognized their exceptional potential and offered them free lessons.
Venus held a 63-0 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour at age eleven.
Her father withdrew both daughters from national junior tournaments around that time for two reasons.
He believed the absence would let them focus on schoolwork. He had also reportedly heard disparaging remarks directed at the sisters during tournaments.
In 1995, Richard pulled Venus and Serena out of Macci’s academy entirely. From then on, he took over all coaching responsibilities at home.
Venus Williams Height and Weight
Venus Williams stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall. Her listed weight is 165 lbs (75 kg).
Her tall, athletic build gives her exceptional reach and power at the net, characteristics that defined her aggressive baseline game throughout her career.
Venus Williams Education
Venus pursued formal education alongside her tennis career. She earned an associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in 2007.
That same year, she launched her activewear brand EleVen, drawing directly on her design training.
Later, she enrolled in an online program at Indiana University East in 2011. In 2015, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the university, completing the coursework while continuing to compete professionally.
She became the first student to graduate under the partnership between Indiana University East and the Women’s Tennis Benefits Association.
Venus Williams Career
Junior Career
Venus began playing tennis at age four under her father’s coaching on public courts in Compton, California. By age ten, her serve already topped 100 miles per hour.
She became the No. 1 ranked player among under-12 players in Southern California and compiled a 63-0 junior record.
Tennis great John McEnroe and Pete Sampras had taken notice of her by the time she was seven, both encouraging her to continue.
Professional Debut
Venus turned professional on October 31, 1994, at the age of 14. In her first match at the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, she defeated Shaun Stafford, a former NCAA singles champion.
In the second round, she pushed world No. 2 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario to three sets before losing.
Three years later, Venus reached her first Grand Slam final as a 17-year-old at the 1997 US Open. She lost to Martina Hingis but became the first unseeded player in the Open Era to reach that stage.
Major Achievements
The year 2000 transformed Venus Williams into a Grand Slam champion. She won Wimbledon that year, defeating defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the final, becoming the first African American woman to win the title since Althea Gibson in 1958.
She then won the US Open the same year, defeating Davenport once more in the final.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she claimed the singles gold medal and, partnering with Serena, won the doubles gold as well.
She became the first woman to win Olympic gold in both singles and doubles at the same Games since Helen Wills Moody in 1924. Venus defended both her Wimbledon and US Open titles in 2001.
She added Wimbledon victories in 2005, 2007, and 2008, bringing her total to five Wimbledon singles titles. Her 2008 final win came over Serena.
In 2011, Venus disclosed she had been diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder causing extreme fatigue, joint pain, and dryness. The diagnosis had significantly affected her form over the preceding years.
She managed the condition through dietary changes, including adopting a raw vegan diet, and modified her training routine.
Venus reached the 2017 Australian Open final and the 2017 Wimbledon final. At 37, she became the third oldest player to rank in the WTA top 10 in history.
Recent Seasons and Return
Venus took a 16-month hiatus from the sport that stretched from late 2023 into mid-2025. During that period, she underwent surgery to treat painful uterine fibroids and later disclosed a diagnosis of adenomyoma.
She returned to professional tennis in July 2025 at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C., where she won a singles match for the first time in two years.
Her 2025 US Open appearance marked a record 25th appearance at the tournament, the most by any player in the Open Era.
In 2026, Venus received wildcards for the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and the Miami Open. She and Serena Williams also secured a wild card entry for the 2026 Wimbledon women’s doubles.
Venus Williams Career Stats and Records
Venus finished her career with 49 WTA Tour singles titles and 22 doubles titles. Her 824 career wins rank among the highest totals in women’s tennis history.
She earned over $42.6 million in career prize money, the second-highest total for a female tennis player ever.
- Singles titles: 49
- Doubles titles: 22
- Grand Slam singles titles: 7 (Wimbledon: 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008; US Open: 2000, 2001)
- Grand Slam doubles titles: 14 (all with Serena Williams)
- Olympic medals: 4 gold (1 singles, 3 doubles), 1 silver (mixed doubles)
- Weeks at world No. 1: 11
She and Serena Williams remain unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals. Venus holds the all-time record, male or female, for most Grand Slam appearances.
Venus Williams Awards and Championships
Venus won the Wimbledon singles title five times, the US Open twice, and claimed three Olympic doubles golds alongside Serena in 2000, 2008, and 2012.
In 2007, she became the first female Wimbledon singles champion to receive equal prize money as the men’s winner, a historic moment in the fight for gender pay parity in sport.
Sports Illustrated named her “Sportswoman of the Year” after her 2000 season.
She also won the Glamour Magazine “Women of the Year Award” in 2005 and the BET Black Girls Rock! Star Power Award.
Venus Williams Endorsements and Sponsorships
Venus signed her first endorsement deal with Reebok in 1995 at age 15. The deal was worth $12 million and became the richest endorsement ever for a female tennis player at that time.
Over the years, she has worked with Wilson, Tide, Kraft, Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Gatorade, and American Express. Her more recent brand partners have included Asutra, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Clif Bar, GhostBed, and PlantX Life.
She founded EleVen by Venus Williams, her activewear line, in 2007. She also runs V Starr Interiors, her interior design firm.
Venus and Serena Williams became limited owners of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins in 2009.
She served as executive producer of King Richard (2021), the biopic about their father, for which Will Smith won an Academy Award.
Venus Williams Husband
Venus Williams married Italian-Danish actor and producer Andrea Preti across two ceremonies in late 2025. The couple got engaged on January 31, 2025.
They first married in a courthouse ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida, and later held a second wedding celebration. Venus wore a custom Morilee New York dress for the Palm Beach ceremony.
The pair had begun dating in 2024. Preti, who had worked as a model, reportedly met Venus through her EleVen fashion brand.
In early 2026, the couple appeared together on the cover of The Knot Magazine as part of a feature on their weddings.
Venus Williams Net Worth
Venus Williams’s estimated net worth is $65 million as of 2026. Her wealth comes from career prize money totaling over $42.6 million, endorsement deals, her EleVen activewear brand, V Starr Interiors, and real estate holdings.
At the peak of her career, she earned between $5 million and $10 million annually from endorsements alone.
She earned approximately $5.9 million in 2019, with $5 million of that coming from endorsements.
Venus Williams Social Media
Venus Williams is active across major social media platforms. On Instagram, she posts under @venuswilliams.
On X (formerly Twitter), she uses the handle @Venuseswilliams. She also has a verified presence on Facebook under VenusWilliams.
Her social channels cover tennis, wellness, fashion, and her EleVen brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Venus Williams’s net worth?
Venus Williams’s estimated net worth is $65 million as of 2026, per Celebrity Net Worth and multiple financial publications. Her earnings come from prize money, endorsements, and her businesses.
How old is Venus Williams?
Venus Williams is 46 years old as of June 25, 2026. She was born on June 17, 1980, in Lynwood, California.
What is Venus Williams’s height?
Venus Williams stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall. Her height contributed significantly to her powerful serve and dominant net presence throughout her career.
Who is Venus Williams married to?
Venus Williams married actor Andrea Preti in late 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. The couple got engaged on January 31, 2025.
What awards has Venus Williams won?
Venus has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, and two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. Sports Illustrated named her “Sportswoman of the Year” in 2000.
What team does Venus Williams play for?
Venus Williams represents the United States on the WTA Tour and in international competition. She has been a wildcard entrant at multiple tournaments in the 2026 season, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles.
The Bottom Line
Venus Williams turned professional in 1994 at age 14 and went on to win seven Grand Slam singles titles, five of them at Wimbledon.
Her 2000 season, which produced Wimbledon, the US Open, and two Olympic gold medals, stands as one of the greatest single-year performances in women’s tennis history.
She is the daughter of Richard Williams and Oracene Price, and grew up training on public courts in Compton, California. Her Sjögren’s syndrome diagnosis in 2011 tested her career but did not end it.
After surgery and a 16-month break from the sport, Venus returned to competition in 2025 and played Wimbledon doubles with Serena in 2026. Her career now spans over 30 years on the professional tour.
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