Venus Williams

Venus Williams was romantically involved with pro-golfer Hank Kuehne since 2007. The two shared a great chemistry and understanding. However, they broke up in 2010.

Presently, Williams is dating Cuban model, Elio Pis. The two met for the first time when the latter modelled for Williams’ fashion line, EleVen.

Williams’ injuries and wounds catapulted immensely over the years. It was only in 2011 that she was diagnosed with a Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack saliva and tear glands.

Venus Williams was born to Richard Williams and Oracene Price in Lynwood, California. She has four siblings, all sisters. Venus was the fourth child.

The family shifted base to Compton when young Williams was just four years old. This change in location gave her and younger sister, Serena Williams an opportunity to try their hand at the game of tennis.

It was under the guidance of Rick Macci that the Williams sisters’ skill for the game grew by leaps and bounds.

Such was Venus Williams’ talent for the game that she became the No. 1 player among the under-12 players in South California when she was merely eleven. However, racial issues and demeaning comments from the society led to young Williams’ withdrawing their name from the academy.

Richard Williams then shouldered the responsibility of training his daughters at the game on his own and became their official coach.

Venus Williams played her first official game when she was fourteen years old. Though she lost the match, she was up a set and a service break against then World No. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario at one point.

In 1995, Williams played three tournaments. Though she lost all the three, in the match at Oakland, she managed to beat World No 18 Amy Frazier to reach the quarterfinals.

The feat was followed in 1996 when she lost four times in the first round but managed to reach the third round in Los Angeles, before losing to World Number 1 Steffi Graf.

Year 1997 brought with it sweet news for Williams’ as she tasted success for the first time. In the Tier I tournaments, Williams managed to reach the quarterfinals of three out of the five contest, thus winning herself a position in the Top 100.

1997 Grand Slams brought in mixed results for Williams. While she lost in the first round of Wimbledon, in the French Open she managed to reach the second round. In Australian Open, she reached till quarterfinals.

US Open was the most successful out of the other three as Williams managed to reach the finals, where she lost to Martina Hingis. For her outstanding performance, Williams climbed to 22nd position in the ATP world rankings.

Williams’ first single title win came in 1997 IGA Tennis Classic played in Oklahoma City, where she outplayed Joannette Kruger.

The Tier I tournaments in 1998 was a mixed affair; while she failed to qualify for the finals of the State Farm Evert Cup in Indian Wells, she went on to defeat then World No. 1 Hingis to reach the final of Lipton International Players Championships. With this, she secured herself 10th position in the ATP world rankings.