A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Venus Williams.
Venus Williams is a highly accomplished American tennis player. She achieved the world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles, holding the top singles spot for 11 weeks. Her impressive career includes 49 WTA Tour-level singles titles, with seven major wins. Williams also excelled in doubles, securing 22 titles, highlighted by 14 majors and three Olympic gold medals. Her success and longevity have solidified her status as a prominent figure in tennis history.
In 1975, Chris Evert held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 260 weeks.
In 1976, Evonne Goolagong held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 2 weeks.
In 1978, Martina Navratilova held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 331 weeks.
In 1980, Tracy Austin held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 22 weeks.
In 1985, Chris Evert held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 260 weeks.
In 1987, Steffi Graf held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 377 weeks and Martina Navratilova held it for 331 weeks.
In 1991, Monica Seles held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 178 weeks.
In 2011, at the Australian Open, Venus Williams retired in the second game of her third round match against Andrea Petkovic after sustaining a hip muscle injury in her second round. This was Williams's first retirement during a match in a Grand Slam tournament since 1994.
In 1995, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 12 weeks.
In 1996, Monica Seles held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 178 weeks.
In 1997, Steffi Graf held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 377 weeks and Martina Hingis held it for 209 weeks.
In 1997, Venus Williams reached her first Grand Slam singles final at the US Open.
In 2011, Venus Williams ended the year ranked No. 102. This was her first year-end finish ranked outside of the top 50 since 1997.
On March 30, 1998, Venus Williams' ranking broke into the top 10 for the first time, at world No. 10.
In 1998, Lindsay Davenport held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 98 weeks.
In 1998, Venus Williams teamed with Justin Gimelstob to win the mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and the French Open, contributing to a "Williams Family Mixed Doubles Grand Slam" with Serena.
On August 30, 1999, Venus Williams' world ranking reached third for the first time.
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.
In 2000, Venus Williams claimed the Wimbledon title and Olympic singles gold at the Sydney Olympics.
In 2008, Venus Williams earned a gold medal along with her sister Serena in women's doubles at the Beijing Olympics, their second gold medal as a team, having won together at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
In 2001, Martina Hingis held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 209 weeks and Jennifer Capriati held it for 17 weeks.
In 2001, Venus Williams had her first win at Indian Wells.
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.
In 2001, Venus Williams was named among the 30 most powerful women in America by the Ladies Home Journal.
In 2001, Venus Williams won the US Open singles title for the second consecutive year, without dropping a set, defeating Serena Williams in the final. This victory marked her fourth Grand Slam singles title and made her the sixth woman in history to win both Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive years.
In 2001, Venus Williams won the Wimbledon Championships, defeating top-seeded Davenport in the final after saving a match point. This was her third Wimbledon singles title, her fifth Grand Slam singles title overall, and her first since 2001. It was the first time in 70 years that a player had won after being down match point during the women's final at Wimbledon.
In 2008, Venus Williams won her fifth Wimbledon singles title, defeating her sister Serena in the final. It was the first time since 2001 that Venus had defeated her in a Grand Slam final.
On February 25, 2002, Venus Williams first reached the singles world No. 1 ranking, becoming the first African American woman to do so in the Open era.
In 2002 Venus Williams won titles in San Diego and New Haven for the third consecutive year. At the US Open, she lost to Serena in the final, and finished the year ranked No. 2, with seven titles.
In 2002, Venus Williams held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 11 weeks and Serena Williams held it for 319 weeks.
In 2010, Venus Williams finished the year ranked fifth in singles, the first time she ended a year in the top five since 2002.
On February 25, 2002, Venus Williams became the world No. 1, dislodging Jennifer Capriati. She was the first African-American woman ever to hold the ranking, though she held it for only three weeks.
In May 2003, The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, occupied the top two ranking spots, which was achieved again in 2009.
In 2003, Kim Clijsters held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 20 weeks and Justine Henin held it for 117 weeks.
In 2003, Venus Williams last won a quarterfinal match in Melbourne, defeating Daniela Hantuchová.
In 2003, Venus Williams reached the final of the Australian Open for the first time, losing to her sister Serena. They teamed up to win the women's doubles title at the event, marking their sixth Grand Slam title in women's doubles.
In 2003, Venus Williams's run to the semifinals in Rome in 2009 meant that she was ranked in the top three for the first time since 2003.
In 2003, it was the first season when Williams reached two slam finals.
In 2008, Venus Williams won her fifth Wimbledon singles title, defeating her sister Serena in the final. They teamed to win the women's doubles title, their first Grand Slam doubles title together since 2003.
In 2011, Venus Williams's absence from the French Open marked the first Grand Slam tournament since the 2003 US Open where neither of the Williams sisters were competing.
In 2004, Amélie Mauresmo held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 39 weeks.
In 2004, Venus defeated champion Svetlana Kuznetsova en route to a third round encounter.
In 2011, at the Australian Open, Venus Williams retired in the second game of her third round match against Andrea Petkovic after sustaining a hip muscle injury in her second round. This was also her first retirement from a match since LA Women's Championships in Los Angeles in 2004.
In 2005, Maria Sharapova held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 21 weeks.
In 2005, Tennis Magazine ranked Venus Williams as the 25th-best player of the past 40 years.
In 2005, Williams became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon champion in history. She became the fourth woman in the open era to win Wimbledon at least four times.
From 2006 to 2008, Venus Williams played three seasons with the Philadelphia Freedoms in World TeamTennis, claiming her first King Trophy in 2006.
In 2006, Lindsay Davenport held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 98 weeks.
In 2010, at the French Open Venus advanced past the third round for the first time since 2006 before losing to Nadia Petrova in singles. In doubles, she and Serena defeated Huber and Anabel Medina Garrigues, reaching No. 1 in doubles. They then defeated Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik to win their fourth consecutive Grand Slam women's doubles title.
At the 2007 US Open, Venus Williams set a Grand-Slam record with a 129 mph serve and reached her first major semifinal outside of Wimbledon since 2003.
In 2007, Venus Williams won the Wimbledon tournament and was awarded the same amount as the male winner, Roger Federer, becoming the first woman to benefit from the equalization of prize money at Wimbledon.
In February 2007, Venus Williams returned from a wrist injury to win the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, her first singles title since Wimbledon in 2005.
Up to 2014, Venus Williams held the record for the fastest serve on the WTA Tour, recorded at the 2007 US Open, at 208 km/h (129 mph).
From 2006 to 2008, Venus Williams played three seasons with the Philadelphia Freedoms in World TeamTennis, claiming her first King Trophy in 2006.
In 2008, Justine Henin held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 117 weeks, Ana Ivanovic held it for 12 weeks, and Jelena Janković held it for 18 weeks.
In 2008, Venus Williams earned a gold medal along with her sister Serena in women's doubles at the Beijing Olympics. At the US Open, Williams was defeated in two tiebreaks by Serena Williams in a quarterfinal match.
In 2008, Venus Williams had a successful year. In October, she reached the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix semifinal in Stuttgart. She then won the Zurich Open, securing a spot in the 2008 WTA Tour Championships in Doha, where she won against Vera Zvonareva in the final, ending the year ranked No. 6.
In 2008, Venus Williams had her first straight sets victory against her sister Serena at the Wimbledon Championships final.
In 2008, Venus Williams won an Olympic gold medal in women's doubles with Serena Williams.
In June 2009, Venus Williams was named 77th in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities list compiled by Forbes magazine.
In 2009, Dinara Safina held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 26 weeks, and Jelena Janković held it for 18 weeks.
In 2009, Venus Williams finished the year ranked No. 6 in singles with a 70% winning percentage. She also finished No. 3 in doubles with Serena Williams, despite playing only six events together.
In 2009, Venus Williams made it to the fourth round of the US Open. She teamed up with Serena Williams to win the doubles title, claiming their third major doubles title in 2009.
In 2009, Venus Williams participated in the year-ending Tour Championships as the defending champion. She advanced to the semifinal and then defeated Jelena Janković to advance to her second consecutive final. She lost to her sister Serena in the final. In doubles, she lost in the semifinal. Her doubles record at the end of the year was 24–2.
In 2009, Venus Williams reached the Wimbledon Grand Slam Final.
In 2009, at Wimbledon, Venus Williams defeated Dinara Safina 6–1, 6–0 in the semifinals. This marked one of her 14 victories over a reigning No. 1 player.
In 2009, at the Australian Open, Venus Williams and her sister Serena won the women's doubles title. In February, Venus won the Dubai Tennis Championships. She also won the Abierto Mexicano in Acapulco, marking her 40th professional singles title. This was her first title on clay since 2005.
On June 7, 2010, Venus Williams became the world No. 1 in doubles for the first time, alongside Serena, after the pair completed a non-calendar-year Grand Slam at the French Open.
From 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, Venus Williams played eight seasons with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis, winning four King Trophies in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
In 2010, Caroline Wozniacki held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 71 weeks.
In 2010, Venus Williams reached the second week of all majors in a single season.
In 2012, at Wimbledon, Venus Williams returned to doubles competition with her sister Serena, marking their first tournament since 2010 Wimbledon. The Williams sisters claimed their fifth Wimbledon doubles title.
In 2012, at Wimbledon, Venus Williams's sister, Serena Williams, won her fifth Wimbledon singles title on the same day that Venus and Serena won their fifth Wimbledon doubles title.
In June 2011, Venus Williams was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.
From 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, Venus Williams played eight seasons with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis, winning four King Trophies in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
In 2011, After competing in the Stanford Classic and Rogers Cup, Venus Williams ascended to No. 6 in the rankings, her highest position since being diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome in 2011.
In 2011, Kim Clijsters held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 20 weeks.
In 2011, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic matched the Williams sisters' record of meeting in four consecutive Grand Slam finals.
In 2011, Venus Williams ended the year at No. 7 in the WTA rankings. She was the 10th most popular player of the year according to the WTA's website and received the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award.
From 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, Venus Williams played eight seasons with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis, winning four King Trophies in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. She was also named the 2012 WTT Final MVP for her efforts.
In 2012, Maria Sharapova held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 21 weeks, and Victoria Azarenka held it for 51 weeks.
In 2012, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic matched the Williams sisters' record of meeting in four consecutive Grand Slam finals.
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. The Williams sisters claimed the most Olympic gold medals of any other tennis player, male or female.
In 2012, Venus Williams reached her first quarterfinal in Rome since 2012, losing to Garbiñe Muguruza.
In 2012, Venus Williams won an Olympic gold medal in women's doubles with Serena Williams.
In 2012, Venus and Serena Williams won their 14th major title together and sixth at Wimbledon in the doubles tournament, marking their first major final since 2012.
In 2013, Venus Williams played for USA at the Hopman Cup with John Isner. Williams beat Chanelle Scheepers in the first rubber and won both her singles and in mixed doubles against France. She next faced Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain and won in two sets.
In 2013, Victoria Azarenka held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 51 weeks.
From 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, Venus Williams played eight seasons with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis, winning four King Trophies in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
In 2014, at the Rogers Cup, Venus Williams defeated her sister Serena Williams in the semifinals, marking her 14th victory over a reigning No. 1 and her first win against Serena since 2009. She eventually lost in the championship match. At the 2014 US Open she made it to the third round.
Up to 2014, Venus Williams held the record for the fastest serve on the WTA Tour, recorded at the 2007 US Open, at 208 km/h (129 mph).
From 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, Venus Williams played eight seasons with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis, winning four King Trophies in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
In 2015, Venus Williams won her 46th career singles title at the Auckland Open, defeating Caroline Wozniacki. At the Australian Open, she reached the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2010 US Open. She also competed at the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Qatar Open. Williams competed at the Miami Open, where she won against Samantha Stosur in the third round and Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round.
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).
At the 2016 US Open, Venus Williams surpassed Amy Frazier's record with her 72nd major appearance. She reached the fourth round, losing to Karolína Plíšková after failing to convert match point.
In 2016, Angelique Kerber held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 34 weeks.
In 2016, Venus Williams had a disappointing run at the Rio Summer Olympics, failing to medal in both singles and doubles events, marking her worst Olympic exits. However, she and Rajeev Ram won a silver medal in mixed doubles, making Williams 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.
In 2016, Venus Williams won a mixed doubles silver at the Olympics.
In 2016, Venus Williams won her 49th career title at the Taiwan Open, defeating Misaki Doi in the final. At the Australian Open, she lost in the first round to Johanna Konta. Afterwards, she helped the USA Fed Cup Team to a 4–0 victory over Poland, winning both of her singles matches.
From 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, Venus Williams played eight seasons with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis, winning four King Trophies in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
In 2017, Serena Williams held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 319 weeks, Karolína Plíšková held it for 8 weeks, Garbiñe Muguruza held it for 4 weeks, and Simona Halep held it for 64 weeks.
In 2017, Venus Williams competed in the US Open Series, reaching 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 lost in the semi-finals of the US Open to Sloane Stephens.
In 2017, Venus Williams had her first top five win since the 2017 WTA Finals.
In 2017, Venus Williams reached the Australian Open final, losing to her sister Serena. This marked a 20-year span between Grand Slam singles final appearances. She had success at the Indian Wells Open, securing her first win there since 2001. She also achieved her first top-ten win since 2015 at the Miami Open, reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2010.
In 2017, Venus Williams reached the Wimbledon final, losing to Garbiñe Muguruza. She reached the quarterfinals for the 13th time and marked her 100th career match at Wimbledon. This was also the first season since 2003 that Williams reached two slam finals.
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.
In 2018, Caroline Wozniacki held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 71 weeks.
In 2018, Tennis Magazine ranked Venus Williams as the eighth-best female player of the Open Era.
From 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, Venus Williams played eight seasons with the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis, winning four King Trophies in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
In 2019, Simona Halep held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 64 weeks, Naomi Osaka held it for 25 weeks, and Ashleigh Barty held it for 121 weeks.
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 (a record later surpassed by her sister Serena at the 2019 US Open).
In May 2020, both the Tennis Channel and Newsday ranked Venus Williams as the eighth-greatest female player of all time.
At the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Venus Williams extended her record as the all-time leader, male or female, in Grand Slam tournaments played, with 90.
As of March 2022, Venus Williams had earned over US$42 million in career prize money winnings.
In 2022, Ashleigh Barty held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 121 weeks and Iga Świątek held it for 125 weeks.
In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 37 weeks.
In 2024, Iga Świątek held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 125 weeks.
In 2025, Aryna Sabalenka held the number one ranking in women's tennis for 37 weeks.
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