Venus Ebony Starr Williams is one of the most successful women ever to play tennis. She is a former World No. 1, and always a serious threat on court. She is likely to win a tournament even if her ranking is low. She has also met with success off the court as the CEO of two companies she started.

 

Williams was born in Los Angeles in 1980. She started playing tennis from a very young age with her four sisters. Her father recognized that both Venus and little sister Serena were outstanding players.  She built up an amazing record of being unbeaten in 63 matches in girls’ tournaments, and aged ten, won the Southern California girls' under-12 title.

 

Venus moved with her family to Florida to train at a tennis academy. By the time she was thirteen, major sports companies were offering her sponsorship deals. She turned pro at 14 and nearly beat the world number 2 in her debut tournament. Venus made it to the final at her debut US Open in 1997 but lost in straight sets.

 

Venus won her first Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon in 2000 and her 16th in 2008. This outstanding achievement makes her one of the all-time greats. In 2006, Williams led and won a campaign for women to receive the same prize money as men at Wimbledon and was backed by the British government. Her successful interior design company and fashion lines also show she is a winner.