Success eases the off-court woe for Venus
WITH a ballerina’s twirl and a cheerful wave, Venus Williams breathes in another afternoon’s success on Wimbledon’s lawns.
The older half of tennis’s most fabled sisterhood is a picture of contentment but away from the sport she has played professionally for more than half her 37 years, the story is not so enchanting.
This is nothing to do with her early years practising on the asphalt courts of Compton, the gritty city just outside Los Angeles marred by gangland violence.
Since then she has won seven Grand Slams, including five Wimbledons, amassing a fortune estimated at £50million.
Along with sister Serena, she is one of the most recognisable athletes ever to have lifted a racket. But, behind the impressive form that took her into today’s semi-final against Jo Konta, Williams is being assailed on three sides.
She faces a possible lawsuit after a crash in which a passenger in another car died, she is battling the autoimmune disorder Sjogren’s syndrome and she must also deal with fall-out from her father Richard’s messy divorce.
The strain showed after Williams’s first-round win over Elise Mertens. Asked about the Florida road accident on June 9, in which 78-year-old Jerome Barson died, Venus burst into tears.
‘There are really no words to describe how devastating and... I’m completely speechless... it’s just, I mean, I’m just... ’ she said, before walking out of the press conference to compose herself.
The accident made headlines after an initial police report blamed Williams but after studying new video evidence they reversed their original conclusion. Even so, the legal dispute with the dead man’s family could drag on for years. In theory, this should not directly impair her ability to play tennis, unlike her problems with Sjogren’s syndrome.
The disorder was diagnosed in 2011 as her form fell away and she withdrew from matches — a far cry from her streak of 20 consecutive wins a few years earlier.
The condition causes tiredness, joint pain and a dry mouth but, after a break from the game, she returned stronger having moved to a raw vegan diet.
The final major trauma for tenth seed Williams is her father’s divorce. Richard Williams, 75, has filed a petition in which he claims his second wife, Lakeisha, 38, is an alcoholic who stole security cheques and transferred ownership of their house by forging his signature.
He further alleges that Lakeisha moved out last year, leaving their son Dylan, five, exclusively in his care, while she took up with a ‘new person’, who has ‘serious criminal charges pending’ and who ‘would pose a danger to the minor’.
Lakeisha’s Miami-based lawyer denies all the accusations.
Richard, the single-minded coach who turned Venus and Serena into superstars, is not at Wimbledon this year. Indeed, he is rarely seen at his daughters’ tournaments these days.
Which brings us to the final missing piece in Venus’s life: Serena. Owing to pregnancy, the younger sister is taking a break from the sport. ‘I miss her,’ said Venus. ‘I think she misses me.’
It would be a timely boost for the family if Auntie Venus, as she will soon be to Serena’s baby, could collect a sixth title in SW19, nine years and so much heartbreak since her last.