VENUS WILLIAMS HAS TUNED OUT ALL MANNER of distractions on her way to becoming one of the most successful women to set foot on a tennis court. But on a recent June morning in downtown New York City, there was no competing with the doe eyes of her 11-year-old Havanese, Harry, as he peeked his head out of her backpack. “Hi, good morning again,” Williams cooed as she buried her face in Harry’s fur. “You’re awful cute, aren’t you?”
As Harry gazes at her, Williams snaps back to attention and explains why, at age 38, with seven major tournament titles, a successful clothing brand and an interior-design business to her name, she keeps grinding away on the tennis tour. “I think you see some players, they’re clearly not playing well and they can’t keep up and they just can’t compete,” Williams says. “This is not a problem that I have.”
Williams is putting it modestly. More than two decades after her pro debut and seven years after being diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that causes pain and fatigue, Williams is still among the game’s elite. In 2017 she reached the final of two Grand Slam tournaments and a semifinal of a third. This season has been rougher—she fell in the first round at both the Australian and French Opens. But if history is any guide, Wimbledon, which starts on July 2, could be the antidote.
The manicured grass of the All England Club has been particularly kind to Williams. Aided by her knack for running down balls on the fast surface that sneak past other players, she has won the singles title five times and, paired with sister Serena, the doubles title six times. (“Those titles count,” Williams says, smiling.) Those matches included some of the most memorable in recent history, including the three-set classic over Lindsay Davenport in the 2005 final and her straight-set triumph over Serena in ’08. Last July, Williams became the oldest Wimbledon finalist since Martina Navratilova in 1994.
This story is from the July 2, 2018 edition of Time.
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This story is from the July 2, 2018 edition of Time.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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