"A true inspiration to any human, a true champion" - Venus Williams' coach Eric Hechtman praises the American on 28th anniversary of her WTA tour debut
Venus Williams' coach Eric Hechtman took to social media to praise the American star on the occasion of the 28-year anniversary of her WTA tour debut.
The 42-year-old took to social media on Monday to post pictures from her debut win in 1994. Looking back on her early years, the five-time Olympic medalist shared an emotional post on Instagram.
"On this day 28 years ago I made my debut to professional tennis. I never imagined 28 years later what @serenawilliams and I would experience in this sport. I can recount the wins and the losses, but in the end it was always about the pursuit of my best self. Everyday, win lose or draw. I can look back with no regrets. It’s all been worth it," she captioned her post.
Her coach Eric Hechtman, who has also coached Serena Williams, was quick to react to the post, resharing it and calling her "a true inspiration to any human."
"She leaves it out there every single day. A true inspiration to any human," Hechtman said, adding, "A true champion pouring your heat and soul into a beautiful life. No regrets for sure.... See you at practice."
What's next for Venus Williams?
Unlike Serena Williams, who retired from the sport following the US Open, Venus Williams has not declared any such intentions.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist, in a recent video, provided details on her upcoming activities.
Venus began by saying that she doesn't have any answers to the questions about her retirement. She did, however, state that she has no immediate plans of walking into the sunset.
“I’ve been staying strong, staying in the gym, and I’m actually still hitting balls, it brings me so much joy. I don’t have any immediate plans to announce, but I promise you that you’ll be the first to know,” she said.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner touched on her rigorous training regimen, stating how she works hard every day irrespective of it being a working day or a holiday.
“Believe me, when I’m training, it takes all day. I was training yesterday, we started at 8 a.m. and I think we finished around 6 p.m. and we still could’ve done more. So, it’s all day affair, it takes a lot of time and energy, it’s a lifestyle. I pretty much train every day — holidays, weekends, doesn’t matter to me, it’s a day to get some work in,” she emphasised.
When Venus Williams last competed at the US Open in September, she lost in the opening round in the singles category. As a wildcard entry, she teamed up with Serena Williams in the doubles, where the pair lost 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the first round to the all-Czech team of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova.
Overall this year, Venus has participated in just five competitions and has not won any of her singles matches.