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Tennis superstar Venus Williams has been making massive strides off the court with her business ventures. One such venture is her lifestyle brand, EleVen by Venus Williams.
On the occasion of International Tennis Day, the former World No. 1 took to her Instagram to speak about how people should encourage and invest in children. The International Tennis Day event was sponsored by her clothing line, which was launched in 2007 and debuted at the 2012 New York Fashion Week. A unique aspect that gives her brand authority is the fact that the clothing line is modeled by athletes instead of professional models. She has naturally also worn her own brand on numerous occasions on the court.
"It's International Tennis Day. Give the gift of tennis @first.serve.miami."
Venus Williams exploits on the court
Venus Williams has struggled with her performances on the court over the last couple of years. The five-time Wimbledon champion has seen her rankings fall due to her performance decline and inactivity.
Williams is known to have the Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that affects countless people across the globe. She's been battling the syndrome for much of her career and first came out about it in 2011. She spoke more extensively about it in 2019 as well.
The symptoms of this disease are fatigue and joint aches that lead to exhaustion. It is not a stretch of the imagination to think that Williams' game has been severely affected by this.
While Venus Williams has been thriving off the court with her business ventures, her on-court exploits have dipped. The former World No. 1 is no longer considered a contender for the majors anymore and has been out of action for a while now.
Williams was hoping to return to action at Wimbledon later this month, but has confirmed that she won’t be participating at SW19 this year.
"No, I'm not playing, but I'll be watching. I'll be watching Serena. Thank you so much, I've been getting a lot of encouraging messages like this and I hope though that Serena playing at Wimbledon will help you with your Williams fix."
The American is currently ranked 571st in the world and it is unclear when she will return to the tour. However, this has not discouraged her from voicing her support for her sister Serena Williams, who is also returning to competitive action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
