Venus and Serena Williams (L), Venus Williams with the 2005 Wimbledon trophy
Venus Williams, who has been diligently active on her YouTube channel over the past few months, posted a video on the platform updating her fans about recent activities in her life. She spoke about her visits to Paris and the 2022 Oscars, and the advice she received from sister Serena during her titular run at Wimbledon 2005.
While Serena Williams suffered a third-round exit, Venus went on to lift her fifth of seven Grand Slam titles at the All England Club that year after outlasting Lindsay Davenport in the final. In her YouTube video, the 41-year-old revealed how Serena gave her a key piece of advice, encouraging her to make the most of her chances at the tournament.
“‘If you take your opportunities more will come’ – those are wise words from my sister Serena that she told me before I walked out on the court at the 2005 Wimbledon,” Venus Williams said. “I feel that it is a classic case of you just taking your opportunities, doing your best and then you go beyond your wildest dreams.”
The former World No. 1 went on to reminisce about her recent visit to Paris. She also spoke about her experiences at the 2022 Paris Fashion Week before expressing her jubilation at being invited to the Oscars. The invitation was a result of her father’s biopic, King Richard, and its nominations at the 94th Academy Awards.
Alongside sister Serena, Venus Williams was asked to be one of the presenters at the star-studded event.
“I love paris and it’s been like my favorite destination for the last few years,” the 41-year-old continued. “I had the opportunity to go to Paris Fashion Week and visit Virgil Abloh’s last show. I’ve also been so busy with King Richard. So in March I was at the Oscars and and it was incredible. It was the first time that I had been to the Oscars and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Serena and I found out the day before that we were going to open the show, so that was so crazy.”
Williams also highlighted how her activewear brand Eleven pushed for social equity for women during the observance of ‘Women’s History Month’ in March. She emphasized the importance of celebrating womanhood during the time and being vocal about issues like equal pay in the workplace.
“It was also our big push for women’s equity,” she said. “At my activewear brand Eleven we really do a lot of work for this throughout the year. March, however, is ‘Women’s History Month’ so it’s important for us to really scream from the treetops about how women are not paid equally. If you’re a minority in the United States then the gap gets wider, so it’s something that we have to raise awareness for. We were also involved with Girls Inc. and we were able to help this organization raise money.”
“I’m gonna leave a little bit of mystery, I can’t tell you exactly when” – Venus Williams on her return to the tour
Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2021
Towards the end of the video, Venus Williams shed light on her much-anticipated return to tennis. The American last played a competitive match in Chicago in 2021 and is yet to confirm her schedule for the 2022 season.
She revealed that although she is looking forward to getting back onto the court, she wishes to “leave a little bit of mystery.” However, she did assure her fans that they would “soon” catch her in action.
“I look forward to getting back on the court and of course I’ll let you know as soon as I know but I swear it’s soon,” Williams said. “I can’t wait. I’ve got so many questions like ‘Are you playing the French Open’, ‘Are you playing Wimbledon’. I’m gonna leave a little bit of mystery, I can’t tell you exactly when because I feel like I want it to be a surprise. So I will definitely surprise you.”
