VENUS WILLIAMS

Rob McLean

She may not be the best player in her own family, but when it comes to Wimbledon, Venus just about holds the bragging rights over her younger sister. With five titles to Serena's four, and, considering that her three defeats in the final at the All England Club all came from Serena, Venus has to date been the Williams' Wimbledon champion.

The life and career of Venus sounds so far-fetched that Hollywood would have probably turned down the script. The story began on the public courts of Compton, the crime-ridden neighbourhood in Los Angeles, where she was taught to play by her father Richard, who mapped out the tennis careers of his children even before they had been born.

Once they were old enough, they hit for six hours a day with old rackets against a wall or on a pot-holed court, while their father barked instructions from a manual. As a result they started competing before the age of five.

By the age of 10, Venus’s serve had already reached 100mph. In 1994 she turned professional and, at 14, proved she was the real deal with her first WTA Tour victory. For father Richard it was total vindication of his hard work. "That's one for the ghetto!" he said at the press conference after her win.

The Williams' sisters arrival on the scene was a breath of fresh air and they have given the women's game a higher profile as well as adding a whole new level of power and athleticism. One wonders what the game would have done without them.

Venus's stand out year was 2000 when she won the US Open, Wimbledon and the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics. Her victory over Lindsay Davenport at the All England Club made her the first female African American champion since Althea Gibson.

Further victories over Justine Henin (2001), Davenport again (2005) and from match point down, Marion Bartoli (2007) and Serena (2008), established the elder Williams as one of the dominant forces on the lawns of SW19, and she isn't finished yet.

As well as honours, plaudits and money beyond her wildest dreams, there have been downsides. She has at times been subjected to racism and also had to deal with the death of her half-sister in a gangland shooting on the very courts she once practised on.

But with seven Grand Slams, Venus is established as an all-time great. Despite numerous off court interests as she approaches her 31st birthday, the game still appears to be her No 1 priority. With only one Wimbledon singles title short of equalling Billie Jean King and two behind Steffi Graf, there is a lot to play for, although Martina Navratilova's nine titles may prove a step too far.

VENUS WILLIAMS