By Mahim Gupta
New Delhi: Venus Williams, the 37-year-old American champion and the ninth seed at the ongoing US Open, is two matches away from winning her eighth Major. And if and when that happens, Venus will become the oldest winner of a Major in the women’s singles in the Open Era. Currently the record is held by Serena Williams who won a Major at the age of 35.
Venus last won a Major in 2008. It was at Wimbledon. She won in London five times. Her only other Major triumph has been at the US Open. The last of the two wins in New York coming in 2001.
It is interesting that of the six players remaining in the women’s draw at the US Open this year, four are Americans. Venus in fact is the only Major winner among the six players still alive in the competition.
After 2009, it took Venus another eight years (2017) to play a Major final. She has in fact played in two this year, at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Venus of course has enough inspiration around her with sister Serena rewriting record books in her mid-30s. There is Roger Federer who has done the same. And maybe that is the reason why most believe that the US Open is Venus’ tournament, to tell the world once again about what a great champion she is.
