Serena Williams got emotional in a touching online tribute to her older sister Venus Williams. The tennis legend, who retired from the sport in 2022, took to her social media page to show support for Venus, who has been competing in the recent U.S. Open in New York City. The athlete-turned-businesswoman went to Instagram to share a carousel of pictures of Venus giving her all while playing tennis; however it was Serena’s moving caption that took center stage.
“Strength, courge, determination, class, perseverance, inspiration…there’s not enough words to describe how proud I am of you Venus Williams,” Serena captioned the post. She concluded the loving caption by adding: “P.S. I hope to be like you.”
Unfortunately Karolina Muchova beat Venus 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 during their intense match on August 25.
Venus took the loss in stride and also posted a carousel of herself competing, remaining positive and hopeful in her caption. She explained: “The journey and love for the game never stops. So thankful for the freedom I felt in my body and deeply moved by the continued support.” During Venus’ post-match press conference, a reporter asked her what she “proved to herself” while playing.
The tennis star thought hard about the question and responded: “Oh, what did I prove to myself? I think for me, getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy. When you play unhealthy, it’s in your mind. It’s not just how you feel. You get stuck in your mind too. So it was nice to be freer.” The star teared up from her vulnerable reply.
© Getty ImagesVenus has been battling with intense pain from her uterine fibroids, and she had an operation last year for them. Her official comeback kicked off this July after she took a 16-month break to heal. The athlete recalled the hardships she faced as she prepared to get back on the tennis court. She shared: “My team and I, we worked as hard and as fast as we could. We literally took no days off.” Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors that form in your uterus and can cause heavy and irregular bleeding, frequent urination, back pain and more.
© Getty ImagesShe continued: “I haven’t gone to dinner. I haven’t seen friends. I haven’t done anything except train for three months as hard as I could. From each match that I didn’t win, then I tried to go back and learn from that and then get better.” Although Venus may not have won her recent match, she achieved both emotional and physical strength by overcoming her obstacles with perseverance, discipline and focus.
© Getty ImagesVenus has just started her comeback tour and we’re positive that based on the immense progress she’s shown, she’s definitely one to watch during the upcoming grand slams.
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