Her performance against sister Serena was comfortably the best level she has exhibited in more than a year
At the turn of the millennium as the 2000 tennis season arrived, Venus Williams was nowhere to be seen. She was the third best player in the world and just 19, but for three months she had withdrawn from all tournaments in sight, citing a wrist injury. By March, a curious rumour began to spread: people wondered if she was on the verge of retirement. The rumours soon reached her family, which they responded to by simply tossing a gallon of petrol all over the flames: “I would like to see her retire now. I would love to see her do that,” said her father and coach, Richard Williams. He argued that tennis careers are short and a greater future awaited her as an entrepreneur. Serena, her sister, was coy: “Rumour has it she’s retiring,” she said, smiling. “I have the inside information. Unfortunately, I’m not able to release that.”
It seems absurd now with the hindsight of Williams’s enduring career, but this talking point was a reflection of the times. It was partly because, months earlier, a hooded Williams watched bitterly as her younger sister leapfrogged her to win the US Open, a failure that seemed to hang over her until she disappeared in 2000. More significantly, both sisters were often criticised for having too many outside interests, not competing in enough events and withdrawing from tournaments at a whim. While their ability was never in question, so much discussion centred around whether they were truly committed like their peers.
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Multi-tasking to the max @CaroWozniacki talks through retirement with @Venuseswilliams during a serious workout pic.twitter.com/LBKYsdAVSM
