"Venus Williams has consistently broken records and barriers across a 32-year tennis career decorated by five Olympic medals, seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 doubles Grand Slams with her sister, Serena. This month, she'll add another record and break another barrier, becoming the oldest woman to play singles at the Australian Open. At 45, Williams handed a wildcard for the tournament is 27 years older than the youngest player in the women's draw, fellow American Iva Jovic. By the time Jovic, 18, was born in 2007, Williams had already won four singles grand slams."
"I stopped running [long] distances a few years ago. That's the only thing I've changed," she told a press conference ahead of a warmup tournament in New Zealand. "But other than that, I've kept a similar routine. Even in all the years I wasn't playing, I was always in the gym as if I had a match the next day, so that helps me whenever I come back to play. I do come back fit. I come back strong without missing a beat."
Venus Williams has a 32-year tennis career with five Olympic medals, seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 doubles Grand Slams with her sister Serena. At 45 she will become the oldest woman to play singles at the Australian Open after receiving a wildcard, and she is 27 years older than the youngest player in the draw, 18-year-old Iva Jovic. Williams stopped running long distances years ago but maintained a consistent training routine, keeping gym-ready during tournament gaps to return fit and strong. Broader trends in population aging are accompanying longer elite careers in demanding sports.
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