Venus Williams was honored last week as Sportswoman of the Year by the March of Dimes New York Division at its 26th Annual Sports Luncheon held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on Wednesday, December 2, 2009.
The March of Dimes honors the outstanding achievements of men and women in the sports industry. Past tennis recipients include Billie Jean King, Andre Agassi and Arthur Ashe.
Williams, who turned pro in 1994, is currently ranked No. 6 in the world on the WTA Tour. She has 41 titles to her name, including 7 Grand Slams with 5 of those at Wimbledon. She and sister, Serena Williams, have also won 10 Grand Slam Doubles Championships, with the most recent being the 2009 U.S. Open. The Williams Sisters also won their second gold medal during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, giving Venus her third Olympic gold.
Williams achieved her WTA Tour high ranking of No. 1 in February, 2002 in singles, and No. 3 in September, 2009 in doubles. Her hard work on the tennis court has won her many championships and trophies. She can now add to all her other achievements that of Sportswoman of the Year.
Off the court, Williams has started her own interior design firm, V Starr Interiors, and has done a recent fashion photo book, “Venus”.
