Where do professional athletes look when they need motivation?
Where do they find inspiration? For Venus Williams, it was down the hall while she was growing up.
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The Williams sisters grew up close together, competing in everything, including video games. CREDIT: INSTAGRAM @VENUSWILLIAMS
During an appearance on Virgin Radio UK, Williams was asked how important it is to keep the right company around you.
Citing Tiger Woods as an example of someone who ran out of worthy competitors at his peak, he turned to chasing history and the legacy of Jack Nicklaus and his 18 major victories.
Williams said she never worried about not being able to surround herself with greatness.
He was always sitting at the kitchen table.
“You’re the one you hang out with,” Williams said.
“I had the privilege of having great company in Serena, and I learned a lot from her because she was younger – she’s 15 months younger, but still younger.
“She was the first in the family to win a Grand Slam, even though I was the first to go on tour. So I learned a lot from her just by watching her without her saying a word.
“With her courage, her character and her courage, I thought, ‘Oh, I want that too, that’s how you win a major.’”
“It’s interesting that just by doing something positive without having to say a word, you can influence another person.
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The Williams sisters have faced each other in four Wimbledon finals, with Serena winning threeCredit: AFP vs Getty
“Just by being around that kind of thing, if you allow it, if you notice it, if you notice yourself and what you maybe lack or maybe you want, and surround yourself with those kind of people, you will get it.
The elder Williams was fortunate enough to surround herself with the greatest female tennis player of all time.
She had the luxury of having a built-in goat as her best friend and sister.
Andy Roddick makes a great comparison between Aryna Sabalenka and tennis legend Serena Williams
“I was so lucky to have that right at home. I don’t think Serena knew it at the time [she was helping me] But she was 17 years old, and what did she know at that age?
“But at that age, once she was doing something positive, being amazing, she didn’t say a word, her actions spoke loud enough.”
Her actions proved that she was high enough for the entire sports world and generations to come.
The younger Williams has won 23 Grand Slam women’s singles titles, the most in the Open Era, and second all-time behind Margaret Court’s 24 titles.
Venus, who is 44 and not yet retired, has won seven Grand Slam singles titles and has teamed with her sister to capture 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.
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1999 French Open Doubles Champions Venus and Serena Williams with their trophies at Roland Garros, Paris, France. (Photo by Art Seitz/Gamma Rafo via Getty Images)
The Williams sisters were able to push each other to greatness from a very young age, something the Woods were never able to experience.
He had to chase down his rivals, before finally chasing the ghosts.
For Venus, inspiration was always by her side.
