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Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Reilly Opelka, and several other tennis stars have reacted to Venus Williams' appearance on the cover of Paper Magazine's May edition.
In the accompanying spread, Williams delves into her latest project - co-curating the childhood home of the late Blues singer, Nina Simone, alongside conceptual artist Adam Pendleton.
The former World No. 1 shared some of the details of the venture in her latest interview with the magazine. She also spoke about the significance of preserving the history of underrepresented communities and her personal connection with Simone and her legacy.
On the magazine cover, Venus Williams donned a stylish white dress, expertly paired with chunky shoes and sleek jewelry. Her electric turquoise hair added a pop of color to the already striking ensembles. She sported long nails that perfectly matched her vibrant hair color.
On Wednesday, May 10, Williams shared the cover photo of the magazine on her Instagram account. The post garnered a lot of attention from fellow tennis players who left a plethora of complimentary and flattering comments. Among those were Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and Reilly Opelka.
"Queen," Osaka commented along with a heart and crown emoji.
"This," Opelka commented with fire and several other emojis.
Coco Gauff also left several comments under the post.
Furthermore, both Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff took to their Instagram stories to share Venus Williams' post.
"Serving fr ❤️ 🔥 👑 ," Osaka captioned her Instagram story.
"If I hadn't been an athlete, I would have landed in the arts somehow" - Venus Williams
In Paper Magazine's accompanying interview Venus Williams shared that if she hadn't pursued a career in sports, she would have found her way into the arts. She spoke about her love for art and design, and how this passion has led her to become involved in the fine art world.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion also stated that she attended various art, fashion, and interior design schools to better her knowledge and skills in these areas.
"If I hadn't been an athlete, I would have landed in the arts somehow," Venus Williams said. "It's hard to say what would have happened but that's how it feels in my heart. I went to lots of art schools. I went to fashion school. I went to interior design school. I was always in school."
"In terms of getting involved with the fine art world, I had a lawyer who unfortunately passed, and he was a friend of our family for so long and I asked him how to get involved. His sons are great artists and they started showing me around," she added.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
