Venus Williams's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Venus Williams.
Venus Williams is a highly accomplished, though currently inactive, American tennis player. She achieved the world No. 1 ranking in both singles (for 11 weeks) and doubles (for 8 weeks). Her impressive career includes 49 WTA singles titles, highlighted by seven major victories. In doubles, she has secured 22 titles, featuring 16 majors and three Olympic gold medals. Williams is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
2000: Olympic Gold Medals
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Venus Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at one Olympic Games.
2000: Wimbledon, US Open Titles & Olympic Gold
In 2000, Venus Williams claimed the Wimbledon and US Open titles, as well as Olympic singles gold at the Sydney Olympics.
2000: US Open Victory and Olympic Gold
In 2000, Venus Williams won the US Open, defeating Davenport in the final, and won a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics.
2001: Australian Open Semifinals and Doubles Title
In 2001, Venus Williams reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and won the doubles title with her sister, completing a Career Golden Slam in women's doubles for the pair.
2001: Named Among Most Powerful Women
In 2001, Venus Williams was named among the 30 most powerful women in America by the Ladies Home Journal.
2001: Venus Williams Wins 2001 US Open
In 2001, Venus Williams won the US Open singles title for the second consecutive year without dropping a set. She defeated Clijsters, Capriati, and her sister Serena in the final, marking the first Grand Slam singles final in the open era contested by two sisters. This victory made her the sixth woman to win Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive years.
2001: Venus defeated Serena in a Grand Slam final
In 2008, Venus Williams won her fifth Wimbledon singles title by beating her sister Serena in the final. This was the first time since 2001 that Venus had defeated her in a Grand Slam final.
2001: Venus Defeats Serena at the Miami Open
In March 2001, at the Miami Open, Venus Williams defeated her sister Serena in the quarterfinals, marking the first time she had defeated her since 2001. She then lost in the semifinals to Maria Sharapova. In May, she won the İstanbul Cup.
2001: Williams Wins Wimbledon
Venus Williams was seeded 14th at the Wimbledon Championships. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Pierce and then Sharapova to reach the final. In the final, she defeated Davenport after saving a match point, winning her third Wimbledon singles title, her fifth Grand Slam singles title overall and her first since 2001. This marked the first time in 70 years that a player had won after being down match point during the women's final at Wimbledon.
2002: Williams Assumes World No. 1 Ranking
In 2002, Venus Williams had a strong start to the season, winning tournaments and ultimately assuming the world No. 1 position on February 25, dislodging Capriati. Williams was the first African-American woman ever to hold the ranking. She held it for just three weeks before surrendering it back to Capriati.
2003: Williams Reaches Australian Open Final and Wins Doubles Title
In 2003, Venus Williams reached the Australian Open final for the first time, losing to her sister Serena. They also teamed up to win the women's doubles title at the event, their sixth Grand Slam title in women's doubles. This marked the first time in the open era that the same two players had met in four consecutive Grand Slam finals.
2003: Williams Dominating Circuit
In 2008, Venus Williams was playing some of her best tennis since dominating the circuit in 2003.
2003: Venus and Serena played each other in a Grand Slam final since 2003
In 2008, Venus Williams won her fifth Wimbledon singles title by beating her sister Serena in the final. This marked the first time since 2003 that they had played each other in a Grand Slam final.
2005: Ranked Among Best Players
In 2005, Tennis Magazine ranked Venus Williams as the 25th-best player of the past 40 years.
2005: Williams Wins Fourth Wimbledon Title
In 2007, Venus Williams, ranked No. 31 and seeded 23rd, won her fourth Wimbledon title after defeating Marion Bartoli in the final. She became the fourth woman in the open era to win Wimbledon at least four times and the lowest-seeded Wimbledon champion in history, breaking her own record set in 2005.
2005: Williams Wins Memphis Title
In February 2007, Venus Williams returned to tennis after a wrist injury, winning the Cellular South Cup, her first since her victory at Wimbledon in 2005.
2006: First King Trophy with Freedoms
In 2006, Venus Williams won her first King Trophy with the Philadelphia Freedoms in World TeamTennis.
2007: Wimbledon Win
In 2007, Venus Williams returned to form, winning Wimbledon.
2007: Williams Wins Memphis Title After Injury
In 2007, Venus Williams withdrew from the Australian Open due to a wrist injury. She returned in February at the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, defeating Shahar Pe'er in the final, marking her first title since Wimbledon in 2005.
2007: Wimbledon Champion and Equal Prize Money
In 2007, Venus Williams won the Wimbledon tournament and became the first woman to benefit from the equalization of prize money at Wimbledon, receiving the same amount as the male winner.
2008: Williams Wins Gold Medal and Loses at US Open
In 2008, Venus Williams earned a gold medal with her sister Serena in women's doubles at the Beijing Olympics. At the US Open, she lost to Serena in the quarterfinals.
2008: Olympic Gold Medal in Doubles
In 2008, Venus Williams won an Olympic gold medal in women's doubles.
2008: Won Year-End WTA Tour Championships
In 2008, Venus Williams won the year-ending WTA Tour Championships in Doha, defeating Vera Zvonareva in the final. She defeated several top-ranked players en route to the title and ended the year ranked No. 6 with three titles.
2008: Williams Wins Wimbledon Singles and Doubles Titles
In 2008, Venus Williams, as the defending champion, won her fifth Wimbledon singles title by beating her sister Serena in the final. This marked the first time since 2003 that they had played each other in a Grand Slam final and the first time since 2001 that Venus had defeated her in a Grand Slam final. They also won the women's doubles title together.
June 2009: Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities
In June 2009, Venus Williams was named 77th in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities list compiled by Forbes magazine.
2009: Last Victory over a Number 1 Ranked Player
In 2009, at Wimbledon, Venus Williams achieved her 13th victory over a reigning No. 1 when she defeated Dinara Safina in the semifinals.
2009: Won Australian Open Doubles Title
In 2009, at the Australian Open, Venus Williams and her sister Serena won the women's doubles title. In singles, she rebounded in February at the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Serena in the semi-finals and Virginie Razzano in the final.
2009: First Wimbledon Semifinal
In 2009, the 2016 Wimbledon Championships was the first Wimbledon semifinal for Venus Williams since that year.
2010: Sisters Claim Fifth Wimbledon Doubles Title
In 2010, Venus and Serena Williams claimed their fifth Wimbledon doubles title, marking the pair's first tournament since 2010 Wimbledon.
2010: French Open Round Since
In 2010, it was the last time that Venus made it to the fourth round for the first time since that year at the French Open.
2010: First Major Semifinal Since US Open
In 2010, the 2016 Wimbledon Championships was the first major semifinal for Venus Williams since the US Open.
June 2011: 30 Legends of Women's Tennis
In June 2011, Venus Williams was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.
2011: King Trophy with Kastles
In 2011, Venus Williams won a King Trophy with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis.
2011: Time since Re-entering Top Ten
In 2011, Williams re-entered the top ten since that year and ended the year at No. 7 in the WTA rankings.
2012: Won Third Gold Medal in Doubles at London Olympics
In 2012, Venus Williams and her sister Serena won their third gold medal in doubles at the London Olympics. With the win, the Williams sisters claimed the most Olympic gold medals of any other tennis player, male or female.
2012: WTT Final MVP and King Trophy
In 2012, Venus Williams was named the WTT Final MVP and won a King Trophy with the Washington Kastles.
2012: Olympic Gold Medal in Doubles
In 2012, Venus Williams won an Olympic gold medal in women's doubles.
2012: Major Title Since
In 2012, they won their 14th major title together and sixth at Wimbledon.
2013: 2013 Season Summary
In 2013, Venus Williams experienced a mixed season, including a first-round loss at the Roger's Cup to Kirsten Flipkens, an upset victory at the US Open against Flipkens, and a semifinal appearance in doubles with Serena Williams. She ended her season prematurely at the Kremlin Cup due to injury.
2014: Victory over Serena Williams at Rogers Cup
In 2014, Venus Williams defeated her sister Serena Williams at the Rogers Cup, marking her first victory over Serena since 2009. She reached the final but lost to Agnieszka Radwańska.
2014: WTA Top 20 Ranking
In 2014, Venus Williams ended the year ranked No. 19 in singles, marking her first finish inside the top 20 since 2010.
2014: King Trophy with Kastles
In 2014, Venus Williams won a King Trophy with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis.
2014: Grand Slam Doubles Match
In 2014, she also won her first Grand Slam doubles match with sister Serena Williams since the US Open that year.
2014: Return to Form
Starting in 2014, Venus Williams gradually returned to form.
2015: King Trophy with Kastles
In 2015, Venus Williams won a King Trophy with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis.
2015: Won 46th Career Title at Auckland Open
In 2015, Venus Williams won her 46th career singles title at the Auckland Open, defeating Caroline Wozniacki in the final.
2016: Olympic Medal in All Three Events
After winning silver in mixed doubles with Rajeev Ram at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Venus Williams became the first tennis player to win a medal at four Olympic Games, as well as the first player in the Open Era to win an Olympic medal in all three events (singles, doubles, mixed).
2016: Olympic Mixed Doubles Silver
In 2016, Venus Williams won a mixed doubles silver medal.
2016: Rio Summer Olympics
In 2016, Williams experienced her worst Olympic exits, failing to medal in singles and doubles, losing in the first round of both events. However, with Rajeev Ram, she won a silver medal in mixed doubles, becoming the only female player (besides Kathleen McKane Godfree) to win a medal in all three events and sharing the record for most Olympic medals in tennis.
December 21, 2017: Exoneration in Car Accident
On December 21, 2017, authorities determined that the car accident on June 9, 2017, involving Venus Williams was caused by an unidentified third driver.
2017: 2017 Season Highlights
In 2017, Venus Williams reached the Australian Open final, her first Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2009. She lost to her sister Serena. She also had a strong run at the Indian Wells Open, marking her first win there since 2001. She reached the semifinals of the Miami Open.
2017: Longest Time Between Major Finals Appearances
With her run to the 2017 Wimbledon singles final, Venus Williams claimed the record for the longest time between a player's first and most recent major singles finals appearances.
2018: Ranked Among Best Female Players
In 2018, Tennis Magazine ranked Venus Williams as the eighth-best female player of the Open Era.
May 2020: Ranked Among Greatest Female Players
In May 2020, both the Tennis Channel and Newsday ranked Venus Williams as the eighth-greatest female player of all time.
2021: Grand Slam Tournament Record
At the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Venus Williams extended her record as the all-time leader in Grand Slam tournaments played, with 90.
2021: 90th Grand Slam Appearance
In 2021, Venus Williams achieved her record-breaking 90th Grand Slam appearance and also her 90th match win at Wimbledon. She also reached the second round of the Australian Open and won her first round match against Mihaela Buzărnescu at Wimbledon.
2023: Rosmalen and Birmingham Classic
In 2023, Venus Williams received a wildcard at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships where she lost in the first round. Venus then competed in the 2023 Birmingham Classic and won her first match as a 43-year-old, defeating Camilla Giorgi in over three hours in an epic three-set thriller. It was her first victory over a top 50 player in almost four years. Williams received a wildcard to the 2023 Wimbledon main draw but lost in straight sets to Elina Svitolina in the first round, suffering a serious knee injury.
