"Be like Serena Williams, tough task" - Venus Williams' tip for the Next Gen

Venus Williams turned into a professional tennis player in 1994, a year before her younger sister Serena Williams. Both players have ruled and dominated the tour for nearly three decades, accumulating a total of 30 Grand Slam titles.

Out of the 31 times they have squared off against each other, Serena has enjoyed the upper hand, with 19 wins and 12 losses. Despite their rivalry, the Williams sisters have been a pillar of support for each other throughout their careers and lives.

'EleVen' is a women's-only clothing brand that was founded by Venus in 2006. It offers quality sportswear and stylish outfits for everyday life. The seven-time Grand Slam winner recently engaged with her fans from around the world on the fashion brand's Instagram account. The 42-year-old answered a huge number of questions, all related to tennis.

However, there was one answer that made the tennis fans smile. When an anonymous person asked Venus to share the biggest tip that she would like to give to Next Gen, she urged others to "be like Serena Williams."

"Be like @serenawilliams. Tough task," Venus replied.

Venus Williams answered in Instagram stories.

The older sister also motivated budding tennis players, who shared their own struggles with the American icon. One of the fans asked Venus about dealing with bad days and what to do if one doesn't feel like practicing. The former World No. 1 advised the fan to stay focussed on their goals and embrace challenges on off days.

"Life isn't about what you feel. It's about staying focused on your goals. Enjoy the challenges on the off days. It build character," Venus wrote back.

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Venus Williams to enter the US Open as a wildcard

Venus Williams during her Canadian Open match last week.

After spending nearly 12 months on the sidelines, Venus Williams returned to the singles competition a couple of weeks ago at the Citi Open in Washington, DC. Although she lost to Rebecca Marino of Canada in the first round of the WTA 250 tournament, tennis fans were thrilled to have her back.

Her next assignment was the Canadian Open in Montreal. Once again, a rusty Williams bowed out of the WTA 1000 event in the first round, losing to Switzerland's Jil Teichmann in straight sets. The result didn't change at Cincinnati this week either, where the legendary player fell to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.

The two-time US Open champion is among those who have been given wildcard entries at the US Open, starting on August 29.