5 Venus Williams achievements that are underrated ft. 93 Major appearances
Venus Williams captured the attention of one and all since her debut as a teenager in the 1990s. She quickly rose to global superstardom and her star power remains the same decades into her career. This remains possible due to her string of impressive results throughout her career.
Williams' rivalry with her sister, Serena Williams, along with some of the other greats of the sport such as Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, and Kim Clijsters, boosted the WTA's popularity.
While Williams set several records with her results, some are always overshadowed by the others. With that in mind, here's a look at five of Venus Willaims' records are are relatively underrated:
#5 - Venus Williams holds the record for most Grand Slam appearances
Williams made her Grand Slam debut at the French Open in 1997 and advanced to the second round. Her longevity remains unmatched since then, and she has a record 93 Major appearances under her belt, with her most recent one being at the US Open 2023.
Williams has won seven Major titles from 93 appearances and finished as the runner-up on nine occasions. She has reached the final at all four Majors, with Wimbledon being her most successful tournament, with five titles and 90 match wins. She has won 54 matches at the Australian Open, 48 matches at the French Open, and 79 matches at the US Open with two titles.
#4 - Venus Williams won 22 consecutive matches at the Miami Open between 1998 and 2002
Williams is one of the most successful players in the history of the Miami Open, one of the most prestigious WTA 1000 tournaments on the women's circuit. She advanced to the third round on her debut in 1997 and won the title the next two years.
Williams skipped the 2000 edition due to an injury but made a triumphant return in 2001 to win her third title. Her title defense the next year concluded in the semifinals against her sister. It snapped her 22-match winning streak at the venue, a record she shares with Steffi Graf. She has a 67-18 record in Miami, and it is her third-best tournament in terms of match wins after Wimbledon and the US Open.
#3 - Venus Williams has won a Major title in singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles
Williams' versatility is one of the most underrated aspects of her career. She is one of the few players to taste success in each discipline of the sport and won a Major title in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.
Williams has won a total of 23 Major titles, seven in singles, 14 in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles. Five of her singles titles came at Wimbledon, and the other two at the US Open. She was the runner-up at the Australian Open in 2003 and 2017 and reached the French Open final in 2003.
Williams won 14 women's doubles titles, all with sister Serena Williams, and they've won each Major at least twice, including four in a row from Wimbledon 2009. She also won the mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and the French Open in 1998.
#2 - Venus Williams has a perfect 14-0 record in women's doubles finals
Doubles as a discipline is often overlooked but it's quite interesting as well. Venus Williams won all 14 women's doubles finals that she contested with her sister Serena Williams. Their very first triumph came at the French Open in 1999, and they emerged victorious at the US Open as well later that year.
They only won Wimbledon in 2000, and after their victory at the Australian Open in 2001, they completed a career Golden Slam in women's doubles, having won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in the preceding season. They added another Wimbledon crown in 2002 and won the Australian Open for the second time in 2003.
They didn't contest any doubles events from 2004 to 2007, a period when both dealt with injuries. They won their seventh Major doubles title at Wimbledon in 2008. 2009 was their most successful year as a team, with three Major titles except for the French Open.
The sisters won the Australian Open and the French Open in 2010, the latter of which marked their fourth consecutive win. Their next title came at Wimbledon in 2012, and their most recent title was also at the All-England Club in 2016.
They've won the French Open and the US Open twice, Wimbledon on six occasions, and the Australian Open four times. Their record of winning their first 14 Major Doubles titles is unlikely to be broken anytime soon.
#1 - Venus Williams is the most successful tennis player in Olympic history
Williams is easily the most decorated tennis player in the history of the Olympics. While her record of five medals ties her with Kathleen Godfree, the American's haul of four gold medals and a silver medal pips her rival's collection of one gold medal, and two silver and bronze medals.
Williams won the gold medal in singles and doubles on her Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000. She couldn't defend her titles in 2004 when the games were held in Athens. She returned to the winner's circle with another gold in women's doubles in 2008.
Williams nabbed her third gold medal in women's doubles in 2012 and added a silver medal in mixed doubles to her collection in 2016. She is the only player to contest five different finals at the Olympics, and her record of four gold medals is matched only by her sister.