Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has no intention of retiring. The 43-year-old American is scheduled to return to the tour this March at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters. Last season she played 10 matches and won three, including a victory over the 16th-ranked player in the world, Veronika Kudermetova, in the thousand-meter event in Cincinnati.
The result of Venus cannot be considered terrible, especially considering her age. But it’s not impressive either. The legendary American was hit by health problems after a terrifying fall at Wimbledon, when she slipped on the grass and screamed in pain. Williams quickly returned, but after being eliminated in the first round of the US Open, she decided to end the season early to fully recover and compete in 2024 without restrictions.
“I did everything I could to recover for the US Open. I’m not back to fitness, so now I’m resting before returning. “I’m targeting March when tournaments will return to the United States, so my goal is to be in action when tournaments return to the United States,” Williams said.
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Of course, it will be nice to see the legendary American on the court again. We can only praise Williams for her durability and commitment to playing at such an advanced age for an athlete. He will retire from tennis later than his younger sister, Serena, a 23-time TBS champion. However, no significant achievements can be expected from Venus, with the exception of theoretical local successes, such as victories over representatives of the top 20.
Gone are the years when the Williams sisters were the most talked about tennis players in the world. Not only because of his dominant play on the court. Venus and Serena often found themselves in various scandalous situations, even more than once they shocked the public with provocative images on the court. One such case occurred at the 2010 Australian Open, when Williams Sr. appeared before the public in an extremely controversial outfit.
Venus Williams at the Australian Open – 2010
Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
In Melbourne, Venus played in a tight yellow dress of her own design, sparking heated discussions in the blogosphere and among fans. To many, the American woman’s attire seemed too revealing and vulgar.
“This is completely my design. Based on my old sketches. I was finally able to release this dress. The idea was to create the illusion of a deep neckline,” Venus said at the start of the tournament when journalists asked her about her scandalous outfit.
The dress itself was only half the problem. Venus also chose a very unusual pair of underwear to match her main outfit: nude panties. From a distance, it looked like Williams wasn’t wearing any underwear at all. This was the feeling among the spectators in the stands and among those watching the broadcasts of their matches on television. Only when zooming in could you see the presence of underwear under the tennis player’s dress.
Venus Williams’ outfit at the 2010 Australian Open from up close
Photo: Lucas Dawson/Getty Images
The public did not like this image too much. In Melbourne, Williams was regularly booed and tennis fans around the world wrote a slew of angry comments on her official website and her personal social media pages. Venus ignored them for a long time, but she still decided to respond to one of her more or less decent comments.
“Please wear decent panties. I don’t see sneakers to see your naked buttocks! — wrote the girl on Venus’s personal website.
“I wear underwear the same color as my skin. That’s why the slits on my dress create a special effect,” Williams responded.
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It was not the best reaction, which further increased the criticism against Venus. Even the media, which normally does not make harsh value judgments, did not mince words.
“Where are the underwear, Venus?” – The Guardian published an article with such a sarcastic headline.
“Venus, change your underwear, please. Women’s tennis requires additional attention, but it is already too much,” noted the Daily Mail.
“Even a split-second hint about missing underwear is unacceptable. People stop watching the game. I think Venus has gone too far. I like her dress. I understand that she was afraid of losing the effect of the cuts if she chose the wrong panties, but there could still be a much better option, ”wrote the famous fashion columnist Tracy Lester for Glamor magazine.
Spectators watched Venus’ performance at the 2010 Australian Open for quite some time. In singles, the American reached the quarterfinals, where she lost to China’s Li Na. In the next stage, Serena took revenge on her sister, who finally took the cup in Melbourne, defeating Justine Henin in the final.
But in doubles, Venus went all the way, winning the title with Serena. In the final, the Williams sisters defeated American Liesel Huber and Zimbabwean Kara Black.
Venus and Serena Williams won the doubles title at the 2010 Australian Open
Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Venus did not give up her principles. She continued to play in a yellow dress with cutouts and the same flesh-colored underwear even after massive criticism. The American has shown once again that, because of her principles, she is willing to go against public opinion.
Although over time, Williams Sr. seems to have realized that he had gone a bit too far in Melbourne. Yes, he subsequently repeatedly appeared on the court in bright and scandalous outfits, but still in standard underwear, which did not cause much indignation.
