"So important for women and men to step up and say, I see this, I want to do something about it" - Venus Williams on closing the wage gap
Venus Williams recently reflected on promoting gender equality in sports as well as in the business industry. In an interview with Entrepreneur, the tennis legend and founder of EleVen and V Starr Interiors discussed what it takes to succeed both on and off the court.
Talking about the differences between playing tennis and running a business, the American stressed on the importance of planning and preparing well in advance. She also touched upon the importance of setting goals from an earlier stage.
"It's all the same, you have to plan ahead, you have to prepare, you have to set goals, you have to reevaluate when it doesn't work out," Venus Williams said.
She also pointed out the importance of building the right team, stating that it's a nice feeling to succeed together.
"You have to build the right team ... To see the work that our team can produce and for us to succeed together, it's such a great feeling," Williams said.
The 42-year-old also spoke about the hardships women face in business. Inequality and the belief that women must work harder and make more noise to achieve are the biggest challenges they encounter, according to her. The former World No. 1 mentioned how she faced the same issue while playing tennis.
"There's a lot of work to be done, and it's so important for women and men to step up and put their hands up and say, 'I see this. I want to do something about it," Williams added.
Williams remains optimistic about lowering the wage gap, though she hopes for it to happen sooner rather than later.
"When you leave the United States that gap gets wider. If we keep up this pace, maybe in the next 100 years we'll be able to bridge that gap, but we need to bridge it sooner," she said.
"I was definitely very rusty, just kind of hitting my stride" - Venus Williams on her poor US Open run
Venus Williams had a forgetful US Open campaign this year. The former World No. 1 lost to Alison Van Uytvanck 6-1, 7-6(5) in her first-round match at Flushing Meadows.
In the doubles category, she partnered with her sister Serena Williams and the duo lost to Lina Noskova and Lucie Hradecka 7-6(5), 6-4 in their first-round match. Speaking about her US Open performance, Williams admitted to being very rusty.
"I was definitely very rusty, just kind of hitting my stride, I'll be playing next year. I'm looking forward to it. [I'm] putting my work in early, being prepared, " Williams confessed.