‘People Just Wear You to Death’ – Known for Her Frosty Media Interactions, 42-Year-Old Venus Williams’ Attitude Was Heavily Inspired by Father Richard

Sisters Serena and Venus Williams have been great ambassadors of tennis. The girls from Compton challenged the odds and proved themselves in front of the world. When they both made it to the highest platform, competition among them was inevitable.

Owing to the quality they had, the sisters met in the latter stage of many important tournaments. The professional rivalry at times can affect the family and their father, Richard Williams, was fully aware of the role media plays in it. Richard advised his daughters to speak the least and focus more on their game. Here’s what former American tennis star Zina Garrison recalls of that time.

Why was Venus Williams avoiding the media?

Garrison was close to the Williams family, and she knew the role Richard Williams played for his daughters. Back in 2001, Venus Williams kept avoiding her interviews and Garrison had a fair idea of where it was coming from. Here’s what she said.

“Venus told me that her father Richard had warned the sisters not to talk to anyone but me. And my friend and frequent doubles partner, Lori McNeil,” Garrison said.

She further added, “So I had to run out to find Richard and explain that they were obliged to do the interviews and all that.”

Here’s what Venus said about avoiding the media. “I just had to tune out everything. People just wear you to death, and talk so much. This and that. I just wanted to get away from the hype.”

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Things changed drastically later. The two opened up in interviews and also appeared on various tv shows which helped change their image in front of the world.

When losing to Venus made Serena salty

The Williams sisters have been great entertainers on the court. The intensity with which they played against each other was amazing to watch. While the two share a great bond, as rivals, there are times when the disappointment of loss was visible.

One such instance was when Serena lost her third-round match at Indian Wells 2018. The opponent was her sister Venus. When asked if Venus played better, Serena gave a statement that sounded awkward. Serena said, “She definitely played better than she normally does today.”

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Clearly, Serena was not happy after losing to her elder sister. Overall, Serena enjoys a comfortable lead over Venus. The two have played 31 matches, of which Serena won 19 while Venus won 12.