Martina Navratilova - "Venus Williams is an iconic figure"
The great Martina Navratilova pays tribute to Venus Williams on the occasion of her 40th birthday. And speaks from experience.
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
Jun 22, 2020, 02:32 pm
At the age of 40, Martina Navratilova was far from thinking about quitting during her own career. On the contrary: the legendary left-handed woman won the mixed double title alongside Bob Bryan just before her 50th birthday. Something similar is also Venus Williams, who ended her fourth decade of life a few days ago. Even if Venus has by no means abandoned her individual ambitions.
Like Navratilova, Williams, despite her seven single titles with majors, achieved almost as much on the court as on the same. "It made the greatest impression socially, politically and culturally," wrote Navratilova in her column on the WTA website. “Just as she is a tennis master, she is also an iconic figure and a leader in the struggle for equality. Venus is a political and social leader. ”Together with Sister Serena , as Navratilova emphasized.
Navratilova expected early retirement
“Although Venus was not the first black athlete in tennis, she was certainly still a pioneer and out of the norm. She has carried the baton for equality with Serena for many years. "
Martina Navratilova is surprised that the five-time Wimbledon and two-time US Open winner from the United States has not devoted herself to other things. "I always thought that Venus would step down around her 25th birthday. I remember when she was a young woman she said that she would stop in her mid-20s and do other things. At that time, the idea that Venus would still play on the WTA tour at the age of 40 was simply unthinkable. ”