Venus: Serena’s paving way on marriage, too
Venus Williams acknowledges that her sister Serena might be younger but in many ways she’s actually the more mature sibling.
That admission came to light when Venus, fresh off a tough 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 first-round win against Kateryna Kozlova of Ukraine, was asked her feelings about baby sis beating her to the altar.
Serena Williams spent part of the offseason in Rome, where Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian popped the question at the very spot where the couple first set eyes on each other.
“She’s much smarter than I am,” Venus said of her sister. “She’s a wise woman. She’s actually getting a real life. She’s paving the way, once again, for me. Maybe I’ll grow up.”
Is it possible that Venus, unlike Serena, is holding herself back from finding true love?
“You know, you can’t plan these things,” Williams said. “You just have to live and see what happens.”
As has always been the case with the Williams sisters, jealousy just doesn’t seem to have a place in their family dynamics. Venus Williams, ranked No. 17, not only appears genuinely happy for Serena finding her guy, but she offered a stamp of approval for the future husband.
“He’s a super nice guy,” Venus said. “You never know how the things are going to end. In this case, it’s not gonna end, so it’s great.”
Williams even indicated she’d be open to the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., abode she shares with Serena becoming the couple’s official home, too, which seems sitcom scenario-worthy.
“I haven’t asked any questions, because that’s kind of up to them,” Williams said. “They don’t need any pressure from me or family members, like, ‘Do this, do that.’ They have to figure out life together. That’s their job.
“I just kind of go with the flow,” Venus added. “I can always get to a plane if she moves somewhere else.”
Despite the conversations about marriage, for Venus on a Monday in Melbourne the word “love” was only related to tennis.
This marked the second consecutive Grand Slam event in which Williams played 101stranked Kozlova. Williams won both first-round encounters, although the U.S. Open outing required three sets to acquire victory.
Williams posted 38 winners and 48 unforced errors in the 1hour, 59-minute match in which she trailed 4-2 in the first set. She initially squandered a 3-1 lead in the second set before winning the final two games of the match.
“I really have to give it to her for playing a match that was not a lot of errors and just relentless,” Williams said. “I guess when I walk out there I have to expect that from my opponents. It’s not an easy first round, but a great first round to get through, for sure.”
Williams, who will play Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland in the second round, is still happy to grind it out on the tour at 36. A seven-time Grand Slam champion, she conquered the energy-zapping autoimmune disease Sjogren’s syndrome, diagnosed in 2011, to return to the upper echelon of the game.
And she’s planning on staying put.
“Each player in the draw has an unbelievable ability to play tennis,” Williams said. “There are some that have won more championships than others, but it’s because we know how to play this game, and it’s pretty serious stuff for us.
“I will (retire) at some point,” she added. “I just don’t know when.”