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Venus Williams Drops Truth Bombs as She Reveals Early Tennis Days: 'Don’t Know What People Thought'

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Vatsal Shah | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 3:01 PM ET

It was the year 1994. 14-year-old Venus Williams made it to the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California. While she was still a rookie, Williams defeated Shaun Stafford to notch up her maiden WTA Tour win. While it was a monumental feat for a 14-year-old, it was just the beginning of a legendary career for Williams. Although she put on some amazing performances right from the early years of her career, Williams recently discussed a lesser known side to her rise on the Williams sisters’ new podcast.

The American legend came from a humble background and worked her way to the top. Naturally, she developed some intriguing rivalries on the court, but preferred to keep to herself, even in the locker room. And it seems her private nature ruffled some feathers on the tour during the early stages of her career.

“I don’t know what people thought about me. I feel like at the beginning, people thought that I was, you know, too bold, and that it was wrong for me to say that I could win. Even though I was first coming onto the scene, that we weren’t nice. People tried to say we weren’t nice because we didn’t talk to other people in the locker room. It’s like, what do you want to talk about in the locker room? Let me know what locker room talk should be, so that I can actually not do it,” revealed Williams on the Stockton Street podcast.

We're breaking down all the misconceptions on Stockton Street. New episode drops this Wednesday! @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/dzjMNEDwkq

— Venus Williams (@Venuseswilliams) September 29, 2025

Moreover, on many occasions, Williams has had confrontation with the fans inside the stadium. She was widely booed after she infamously pulled out of the 2001 BNP Paribas Open, which was one of the darkest chapters of her career. Nonetheless, Williams clearly overcame her critics and went on to become one of the greatest players the sport had ever seen, on the court and off of it with her tireless work in eliminating the gender pay gap at Wimbledon and the French Open.

At 45, Williams is still inspired by success. While she’s in the twilight of her career, the American legend wants to keep going and revealed what inspired her to strive for success at this age.

Venus Williams reveals the one thing she never imagined

A few weeks back, Venus Williams made a comeback to the tour before the US Open. She played in Washington and Cincinnati before her US Open appearance. Although she lost in the first round of the singles competition in New York, Williams managed to reach the last eight in women’s doubles. While she would like to keep going on, the American legend is driven by the love for the game.

She said, “As a young person, I wanted to play the game, be a champion. I loved the game so much, I didn’t realize that it would be so much bigger than myself. And seeing these young women doing positive things with their life, winning tournaments, inspiring the next generation, too, it’s like I could have never imagined that. So, it’s like icing on the cake, cherries on top with the nuts and all the fixings. It’s beautiful.”

While Venus Williams hasn’t announced her next tournament, it is unlikely that she’ll play again this year. Can the American legend have one last laugh before she calls time on her illustrious career? Let us know your views in the comments below.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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