Venus Williams stunned the tennis fraternity with her emphatic win over the 16th seed Veronika Kudermetova in Cincinnati. The seven-time major champion has struggled to register big wins this year owing to injuries and a lack of match practice. However, this landmark victory is a testament to the hard shifts she has put in the recent months, especially in rehab.

Williams has been to rehab several times towards the twilight of her career. After sustaining another injury in January, she did not have the energy to go through another rigorous stint of the same. However, the American convinced herself to start the recovery process after taking some time off. After her win in Cincinnati, she weighed in on this topic.

Venus Williams recalls her injury rehab struggles

Williams played a handful of matches this year, starting with the grass swing. She also managed to edge past Camila Giorgi in Birmingham. However, this particular victory at the Western and Southern Open was a standout one. Following her success, she addressed the journalists at the press conference. Unsurprisingly, her rehab struggles were also brought up at the same time.

She recalled her injury in January’s Auckland Open. Williams postponed the rehab for about two months. “I had already rehabbed a year before that. I always joke I’m a professional rehabber now.“, said the former World No.1. However, it was a France trip that encouraged Williams to return to tennis quickly. Venus spent time at her sister Serena Williams‘s place in Paris and was mesmerized by her sporting equipment.

She further added, “I’m like in these shoes. They’re too big, with one racquet, and I’m trying to find the string. I’m like, Okay, I’m ready to do my rehab again. So if I had not taken off that eight weeks, I probably could have made the French, but at some point, you need a break from it. So, right after Wimbledon, I went straight back to rehab. I felt like Amy Winehouse.” Williams made an Amy Winehouse reference, the late Hollywood songwriter who underwent rehab multiple times.

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Those were some staggering revelations from Venus Williams. Her determination to keep pushing makes her one of the strongest fighters across sports. With the Cincinnati victory, Williams unlocked a monumental longevity feat.

28 years of impeccable greatness

Williams’ triumph over Kudermetova marked another landmark in her career. She registered a win over a Top 20 ranked opponent, 28 years after her first win over the same. Williams had defeated the then World No. 18, Amy Frazier in the Oakland Open 1995 as a 15-year-old. She now cruises past the World No.16 in Cincinnati. Venus proved herself a timeless legend, displaying her racket talent in four different decades.

Do you think that Venus Williams can make a deep run in Cincinnati? Let us know in the comments.

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