Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Venus Williams

How Venus Williams built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Venus Williams is a highly accomplished American professional tennis player. She achieved the world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles, holding the top singles spot for 11 weeks. Williams' impressive career includes 49 WTA Tour singles titles, highlighted by seven major championships. In doubles, she has secured 22 titles, including 14 majors. Additionally, she has earned four Olympic gold medals, one in singles at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and three in doubles.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1994: First Retirement at Grand Slam

At the Australian Open in 2011, Venus Williams retired in the second game of her third round match against Andrea Petkovic due to injury, marking her first retirement during a match in a Grand Slam tournament since 1994.

1997: First Time Unseeded Since 1997 at Wimbledon

At Wimbledon in 2012, Venus Williams was unseeded for the first time since 1997. She lost to Elena Vesnina in the first round. However, she and her sister Serena claimed their fifth Wimbledon doubles title.

1997: First Grand Slam Singles Final Appearance

In 1997, Venus Williams first reached a Grand Slam singles final at the US Open. In 2017, she set the Open era record for the longest span (20 years) between grand slam singles final appearances since this.

1997: Lowest finish since 1997

In 2006, Williams finished the season as No. 46, her lowest finish since she began to play on the WTA Tour full-time in 1997.

1997: First year-end finish outside of the top 50

In 2011, Venus Williams did not play for the rest of the year due to health issues, only appearing in exhibition tournaments. She ended the year ranked No. 102, which was her first year-end finish ranked outside of the top 50 since 1997.

1997: First Time Since 1997 Out of Wimbledon Prior to Quarterfinals

In Wimbledon, Venus Williams lost a controversial second-round match to Croatian Karolina Šprem. Due to an umpire error, this defeat marked the first time since 1997 that Williams had exited Wimbledon prior to the quarterfinals.

2000: Sydney Olympics Gold Medals

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Venus Williams achieved a significant milestone by becoming only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at a single Olympic Games. This accomplishment highlights her exceptional skill and versatility on the court.

2000: Wins gold medal at Sydney Olympics

In 2008, Venus Williams won a gold medal along with her sister Serena in women's doubles, their second gold medal as a team, having won together at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

2001: Wins US Open singles title

In 2001, Venus Williams won the US Open singles title for the second consecutive year without dropping a set. She defeated Clijsters, Capriati, and then her sister Serena in the final, marking the first Grand Slam singles final contested by two sisters during the open era. She became only the sixth woman to win both Wimbledon and the US Open singles titles in consecutive years.

2001: Higher Ranking than Serena

In 2005, Venus Williams finished the year ranked No. 10, which was the first year since 2001 that she had finished a year ranked higher than her sister Serena Williams.

2001: First time since 2001 defeated her in Grand Slam final

In 2008, it was the first time since 2001 that Venus had defeated her in a Grand Slam final.

2001: First Win at Indian Wells Since 2001

In 2017, at the Indian Wells Open, Venus Williams defeated Jelena Janković, marking her first win at Indian Wells since 2001.

2001: Defeats sister Serena for the first time since 2001

In March of 2001, at the Miami Open, Venus Williams defeated her sister Serena in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2001. She then lost in the semifinals to Sharapova. In May, she won the İstanbul Cup, defeating Nicole Vaidišová in the final, and lost at the French Open to Sesil Karatantcheva.

2002: Venus Williams' Ranking

In 2002, Venus Williams held the top ranking for 11 weeks.

2002: Wins titles in San Diego and New Haven

In 2002, Venus Williams won the titles in San Diego and New Haven for the third consecutive year, defeating Davenport and Dokic to win the former and defeating Davenport in the final of the latter. She reached the final of the 2002 US Open, losing to her sister Serena.

2002: Assumes World No. 1 Position

In 2002, as a result of her strong start to the season, Venus Williams assumed the world No. 1 position for the first time on February 25th, dislodging Capriati. Williams was the first African-American woman ever to hold the ranking, though she held it for only three weeks before Capriati reclaimed it.

2002: Leading head-to-head career matches with Serena

In 2009, after defeating Serena Williams in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, Venus Williams led the head-to-head in career matches with her sister for the first time since 2002.

2002: Ranked in the top five

In 2010, Venus Williams ended the year ranked fifth in singles, the first time she ended a year in the top five since 2002.

May 2003: Williams sisters occupy top two spots

On May 17, 2009, Venus Williams' ranking improved to No. 2, behind only Serena. This marked the fourth time that the Williams sisters occupied the top two spots in rankings, and the first time since May 2003.

2003: Absence from the French Open

Due to injury in 2011, Venus Williams missed the clay court season which caused her ranking to drop to No. 29. Her absence from the French Open marked the first Grand Slam tournament since the 2003 US Open where neither of the Williams sisters were competing.

2003: Last Australian Open Quarterfinal Before 2017

In 2003, Venus Williams last won a quarterfinal match in Melbourne, defeating Daniela Hantuchová, before winning another one in 2017.

2003: Loses to Serena in Australian Open Final, Wins Doubles Title

In 2003, Venus Williams lost to her sister Serena in the Australian Open final, marking the first time in the open era that the same two players had met in four consecutive Grand Slam finals. However, Venus and Serena teamed up to win the women's doubles title at the event, their sixth Grand Slam title in women's doubles.

2003: Ranked in the top three

In 2003, Venus Williams reached the semifinals in Rome which resulted in her being ranked in the top three for the first time since 2003.

2003: Major Semifinal Outside Wimbledon

In 2007, at the US Open, Venus Williams advanced to her first major semifinal outside of Wimbledon since 2003, but lost to Justine Henin.

2003: Reaches Australian Open Quarterfinals

In 2008, Venus Williams reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time since 2003.

2003: Some of her best tennis since 2003

In 2008, Williams was playing some of her best tennis since dominating the circuit in 2003.

2003: First time since 2003 played each other in a Grand Slam final

In 2008, it was the first time since 2003 that Venus and Serena Williams had played each other in a Grand Slam final.

2003: Last Season Reaching Two Slam Finals Before 2017

The 2017 season was the first time since 2003 that Venus Williams reached two slam finals.

2004: Defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova at the US Open

At the 2018 US Open, Venus Williams defeated 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova en route to a third round encounter with Serena Williams.

2004: First Retirement from a Match

At the Australian Open in 2011, Venus Williams retired in the second game of her third round match against Andrea Petkovic due to injury, marking her first retirement from a match since LA Women's Championships in Los Angeles in 2004.

2004: Defending champion loses in Athens Olympics

In 2004, as the defending champion at the Athens Olympics, Venus Williams lost in the third round to Mary Pierce. She then lost to Davenport in the fourth round of the 2004 US Open, marking the first time she had lost at the US Open prior to the semifinals. She also lost to Maria Sharapova at the Zurich Open.

2005: Loses Australian Open, Antwerp Final

In 2005, Venus Williams began the year by losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Alicia Molik. She reached the final in Antwerp, but lost to Mauresmo despite leading by a set and a service break.

2005: US Open, Stanford Performance and Ranking

In 2005, Venus Williams reached her fourth final of the year in Stanford, where she lost to Clijsters. At the 2005 US Open, Williams achieved her second consecutive win over sister Serena in the fourth round, but then lost in the quarterfinals to Kim Clijsters. She finished the year ranked No. 10, higher than her sister Serena for the first time since 2001.

2005: Won Wimbledon in 2005

In 2007, Venus Williams won her first singles title since her victory at Wimbledon in 2005.

2005: Meets Serena at Bangalore Open

In 2008, at the Bangalore Open in India, Venus Williams met her sister Serena for the first time since 2005, with Serena winning despite Venus holding a match point.

2005: Winning the Abierto Mexicano

In 2009, Venus Williams won the Abierto Mexicano in Acapulco defeating Pennetta in the final. This was her first title on clay since 2005.

2005: Broke own record at Wimbledon

Venus Williams became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon champion in history in 2007, breaking the record she herself set in 2005.

2006: First round loss at Grand Slam

At Wimbledon in 2012, Venus Williams lost to Elena Vesnina in the first round in straight sets. This was the first time Williams lost in the first round of a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open.

2006: Advanced past the third round at French Open

At the French Open in 2010, seeded second in singles, Venus Williams advanced past the third round at this tournament for the first time since 2006 before losing to Nadia Petrova in the round of 16.

2006: Australian Open Upset and Wrist Injury

In 2006, Venus Williams was upset in the first round of the Australian Open by Tsvetana Pironkova, marking her earliest loss ever at that tournament. After that loss, she did not play again for three months due to a wrist injury, returning in late April on clay in Warsaw, where she defeated Hingis before losing to Kuznetsova. She reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, where she lost to Nicole Vaidišová.

2007: 34 Straight Sets Won at Wimbledon

At Wimbledon, Venus Williams had won 34 straight sets since Wimbledon 2007. In the final she lost to Serena in two sets.

2007: Withdraws from Australian Open, Wins Memphis Title

In 2007, Venus Williams withdrew from the Australian Open due to her recurring wrist injury, marking the second consecutive Grand Slam that she had missed. She returned in February at the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, defeating Shahar Pe'er in the final, her first singles title since her victory at Wimbledon in 2005.

2007: Major Semifinal Outside Wimbledon and Anemia Problems

In 2007, at the US Open, Venus Williams advanced to her first major semifinal outside of Wimbledon since 2003, but lost to Justine Henin. She then won the Korea Open in Seoul, before losing in the final of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo. Williams qualified for the WTA Championships in Madrid, but withdrew due to anemia.

2008: Winning the year-ending tournament

In 2008, Venus Williams achieved significant milestones, including defeating Dinara Safina at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, winning the Zurich Open, and securing a spot in the WTA Tour Championships in Doha. At the Championships, she defeated top-ranked players like Safina and Serena Williams, ultimately winning the tournament by defeating Vera Zvonareva in the final. She finished the year ranked No. 6 with three titles.

2008: Beijing Olympics and US Open Performance

In 2008, Venus Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics to Li Na, but earned a gold medal in women's doubles with Serena. At the US Open, she was defeated by Serena in the quarterfinals.

2008: Reaches Australian Open Quarterfinals and Meets Serena at Bangalore Open

In 2008, Venus Williams reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time since 2003. At the Bangalore Open in India, she met her sister Serena for the first time since 2005, with Serena winning despite Venus holding a match point.

2008: Last Straight Sets Victory Against Serena Before 2018

In 2018 at Indian Wells Open, Venus Williams defeated Serena Williams for the 12th time, marking her first straight sets victory against her since the 2008 Wimbledon Championships final.

2009: Last Grand Slam Final Before 2017 Australian Open

In 2009, Venus Williams reached the Wimbledon final, which was her last Grand Slam final before reaching the 2017 Australian Open final.

2009: Winning Women's Doubles Title at Australian Open

In 2009, at the Australian Open, Venus Williams lost in the second round in singles but teamed up with her sister Serena to win the women's doubles title. Later in February, she won the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Serena Williams in the semifinals and Virginie Razzano in the final. She also won the Abierto Mexicano in Acapulco, marking her first title on clay since 2005. These wins propelled her into the top five rankings for the first time since 2003 and marked her 40th professional singles title.

2009: Victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova

In 2012, Venus Williams defeated Petra Kvitová, her first top-3 victory since beating Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2009.

2009: Last Final at Year-End Championships Before 2017

In 2017, Venus Williams advanced to her first final at the year-end championships since 2009.

2010: Last Time Seeded in Top Ten at All Grand Slam Tournaments

In 2010, Venus Williams was last seeded in the top ten at all four Grand Slam tournaments, a feat she repeated in 2016.

2010: Ended year in the top five

In 2010, Venus Williams' recovery from a left knee injury forced her to miss the rest of the season. She ended the year ranked fifth in singles, marking the first time she ended a year in the top five since 2002, despite playing only nine tournaments.

2010: Return to Doubles Competition

In 2012, Venus Williams and Serena Williams returned to doubles competition. This was in just the pair's first tournament since 2010 Wimbledon.

2010: Last Semifinal in Miami Before 2017

In 2017, Venus Williams reached her first semifinal in Miami since 2010, where she lost to Johanna Konta.

2010: Last Time Reaching Second Week of All Majors

In 2017, Venus Williams reached the second week of all majors in a single season for the first time since 2010.

2010: WTA Finals Qualification

On September 26, 2017, Venus Williams qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time since 2010. She progressed to the semifinals, avenging her loss to Garbiñe Muguruza in the Wimbledon final. Williams then advanced to her first final at the year-end championships since 2009.

January 2011: Last Time in Top Five of WTA Rankings Before 2017

At the end of the 2017 US Open, Venus Williams guaranteed her return to the top five in the WTA rankings for the first time since January 2011.

2011: Seeded 23rd at Wimbledon Championships

In 2011, Venus Williams was seeded 23rd at the Wimbledon Championships. She won her second round match against Kimiko Date-Krumm and her third round match against María José Martínez Sánchez, but was defeated by Tsvetana Pironkova in the fourth round.

2011: Reference to Nadal-Djokovic Rivalry

In 2011, the rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic was referenced alongside the Williams sisters' streak of Grand Slam finals, as they met in the Wimbledon final through the French Open 2012 final, matching the Williams' sisters feat from 2003.

2011: First singles match since the US Open

In 2012, Venus Williams was granted wildcards to participate in the Miami and Charleston tournaments. In the first round of Miami, her first singles match since the 2011 US Open, she defeated Kimiko Date-Krumm. She then defeated Petra Kvitová and Aleksandra Wozniak, reaching the quarterfinals. A week later in Charleston, she reached her second consecutive quarterfinal.

2011: First Wimbledon Warmup Event Since 2011

In 2019, Venus Williams played a Wimbledon warmup event for the first time since 2011, accepting a wildcard into the Birmingham Classic, reaching the quarterfinals. She returned to the top 50 in the rankings due to this run.

2012: Earliest Wimbledon Exit

At Wimbledon in 2019, Venus Williams lost to Coco Gauff in the first round. The loss matched 2012 as her earliest Wimbledon exit.

2012: Winning Third Gold Medal in Doubles at London Olympics

In 2012, Venus Williams participated in the London Olympics, reaching the third round in singles and winning her third gold medal in doubles with her sister Serena. Their win gave the Williams sisters the most Olympic gold medals of any other tennis player.

2012: Reference to Nadal-Djokovic Rivalry

In 2012, the rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic was referenced alongside the Williams sisters' streak of Grand Slam finals, as they met in the Wimbledon final through the French Open 2012 final, matching the Williams' sisters feat from 2003.

2012: Last Quarterfinal in Rome Before 2017

In 2017, Venus Williams played at the Italian Open and lost in her first quarterfinal in Rome since 2012 to Garbiñe Muguruza.

2013: First Time Since 2013 Finishing Outside Top 20

At the end of the 2018 season, Venus Williams finished ranked No. 40, marking the first time since 2013 that she failed to finish the season inside the top 20.

2013: Playing for USA at the Hopman Cup

In 2013, Venus Williams played for the USA at the Hopman Cup with John Isner. She won her singles match against Chanelle Scheepers and, with John Isner, they defeated the South African pair Scheepers and Kevin Anderson. She also won both her singles and mixed doubles matches against France.

2015: Serena Williams enters Indian Wells after boycott

In 2015, Serena Williams entered the Indian Wells tournament after a 14-year boycott, following appeals for forgiveness from the event and the WTA Tour due to controversial events in 2001.

2015: First Top-Ten Win Since 2015

In 2017, Venus Williams scored her first top-ten win since 2015, against Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Miami Open.

2016: Rio Olympics Silver Medal

At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Venus Williams won a silver medal in mixed doubles with Rajeev Ram, making her the first tennis player to win a medal at four Olympic Games. She also became the first player in the Open Era to win an Olympic medal in all three events: singles, doubles, and mixed.

2016: US Open Major Appearances Record

At the 2016 US Open, Venus Williams broke the record for the most major appearances, surpassing Amy Frazier's record of 71. She was seeded in the top ten at all four Grand Slam tournaments for the first time since 2010. She won her first three matches before losing in the fourth round to Karolína Plíšková.

2016: Rio Summer Olympics

In 2016, Venus Williams participated in the Rio Summer Olympics, where she failed to medal in both singles and doubles events, experiencing her worst Olympic exits by falling in the first round in both. However, she won a silver medal in the mixed doubles event with Rajeev Ram, making her the only female player besides Kathleen McKane Godfree to win a medal in all three events. Her five medals tied her with Godfree for the most Olympic medals won in tennis.

2017: Wimbledon Quarterfinal and Final

In 2017, Venus Williams entered Wimbledon as the number 10 seed. She reached the quarterfinals for the 13th time in her career, defeating Jeļena Ostapenko, and also marked her 100th career match at Wimbledon. She advanced to her ninth Wimbledon final, marking her 87th win at Wimbledon, and lost to Garbiñe Muguruza. She gained the No. 9 ranking by reaching the final, her second appearance in the top 10 in 2017.

2017: 2017 US Open Series

In 2017, Venus Williams participated in the US Open Series, reaching the third round of the Canadian Open and the second round in Cincinnati. At the 2017 US Open, she reached the fourth round. Williams reached the second week of all majors in a single season for the first time since 2010, and reached the second week of seven consecutive Grand Slam tournaments. She reached her 12th US Open quarterfinal and lost to Sloane Stephens in the semifinal. She also guaranteed her return to the top five in the WTA rankings for the first time since January 2011.

2017: Longest Time Between Major Singles Finals Appearances

In 2017, Venus Williams reached the Wimbledon singles final, setting a record for the longest time span between a player's first and most recent major singles finals appearances. This record highlights her sustained excellence and longevity in top-tier tennis competitions.

2017: First Top Five Win Since 2017 WTA Finals

In 2019 at Indian Wells, Venus Williams beat the third seed Petra Kvitová in the second round. This was Williams's first top five win since the 2017 WTA Finals.

2017: 2017 Season and Australian Open Run

Venus Williams' 2017 season included reaching the Australian Open final. She won her opening match at Auckland before withdrawing due to a right arm pain. At the Australian Open, she advanced to the quarterfinals, defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for her 50th win at the Australian Open, reached the semifinals, and ultimately lost in the final to Serena Williams. The 2017 Australian Open marked her first Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2009 and her first Australian Open final since 2003. She set the Open era record for the longest span (20 years) between Grand Slam singles final appearances, having first reached a Grand Slam singles final at the 1997 US Open.

2018: 2018 US Open and Season End

At the 2018 US Open, Venus Williams lost to Serena Williams in the third round. She withdrew from the Wuhan Open and China Open, and also pulled out of the Luxembourg Open due to a knee injury. She finished the season ranked No. 40.

2018: Parting Ways with David Witt

At the end of the 2018 season, Venus Williams parted ways with her long-time coach David Witt.

2018: 2018 Season Start and Australian Open Performance

Venus Williams began her 2018 season at the Sydney International, where she lost to Angelique Kerber in the second round. As the fifth seed and defending finalist at the Australian Open, Williams lost in the first round to Belinda Bencic, ending her streak of seven consecutive appearances in the second week of the Grand Slams.

2019: Serena Surpasses Venus's Record

At the 2019 US Open, Serena Williams surpassed Venus Williams's record for the longest time between a player's first and most recent major singles finals appearances. This event marked a shift in the record between the Williams sisters.

2019: 2019 Season Start and Australian Open Performance

Venus Williams began her 2019 season with an exhibition match against Serena at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, winning in the match tiebreak. She played in the ASB Classic in Auckland, reaching the quarterfinals. Unseeded at the Australian Open, Williams reached the third round, where she lost to Simona Halep.

August 2020: WTA Ranking Drops to No. 67

Following the Western & Southern Open, Venus Williams dropped to No. 67 in the WTA rankings on August 31, 2020.

2021: Grand Slam Tournament Record

In 2021, at the Wimbledon Championships, Venus Williams set a new record as the all-time leader in Grand Slam tournaments played, reaching a total of 90. This milestone underscores her enduring presence and competitiveness in the sport.