Venus Williams, on and off the court
U.S. tennis player Venus Williams celebrates after winning the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on February 22, 2014 in Dubai. Williams won her final against Alize Cornet of France 6-3, 6-0.
She's been a force in women's tennis since she played her first pro match at age 14. Winning 20 Grand Slam singles and doubles titles and netting four Olympic gold medals (playing with - and sometimes against - her sister, Serena), Venus Williams is credited with bringing a new level of power and athleticism to the game.
1997 U.S. Open
Venus Williams of the U.S. hits a return to Gala Leon Garcia of Spain August 27, 1997, during their match at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Williams won the match 6-0, 6-1.
Williams lost her first Grand Slam finals match, at the U.S. Open, to Martina Hingis of Switzerland.
1999 French Open
Venus Williams of the U.S. hits a backhand return against Natasha Zvereva of Belarus in the second round of the French Open Tennis, at Roland Garros in Paris, France, May 26, 1999. Williams defeated Zvereva 7-6, 6-0.
Venus Williams' doubles victory with her sister Serena at the 1999 French Open was the first of their record 13 Grand Slam doubles titles.
2000 Summer Olympics
Venus Williams of the U.S. serves during the Womens Tennis Singles Final at the NSW Tennis Center on Day 12 of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Sept. 27, 2000.
She defeated Elena Dementieva of Russia, 6–2, 6–4, to win the gold.
Venus and Serena also won Olympic gold in womens' doubles, defeating Kristie Boogert and Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands, 6–1, 6–1.
Papa Williams
Richard Williams, father of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, is seen courtside in Flushing Meadows, New York in 2001.
Venus spent her early years in a drug- and crime-plagued area of Compton, Calif. Her parents saw tennis as a way out for their children. Venus was ranked No. 1 among under-12 players in Southern California, with a 63–0 record on the USTA junior tour, and made her professional debut at the age of 14.
"My parents never told us we had to win," Williams told CBS News' Rita Braver. "They would say, 'If you don't like it, come off the court.' They wanted us to play, but there was never pressure."
2001 U.S. Open
Fourth seed Venus Williams of the U.S. watches her return to fifth seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium during their quarterfinal match 05 September 2001 at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York.
2001 U.S. Open
Venus Williams holds her trophy with her sister Serena Williams after the women's final match of the U.S. Open at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, Sept. 8, 2001. Venus defeated Serena 6-2, 6-4, in what was the first tennis final pitting sister against sister in more than a century.
London
U.S. tennis star Venus Williams unveils her Wimbledon outfit on the catwalk in London, June 20, 2003. The Belgium designer Diane von Furstenberg created the dress for Williams to wear playing at the Wimbledon Tennis tournament.
Santa Monica, Calif.
Venus Williams models her sister Serena's "Aneres" fashion line during the WTA Tour Charities Show & Gala on November 3, 2003 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif.
New York City
Venus Williams attends the Fashion Rocks Concert on September 8, 2004 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
London
Tennis Star Venus Williams arrives at the "Brit Awards 2004" at Earls Court 2 in London, February 17, 2004.
Washington, D.C.
From left: Serena and Venus Williams attend the White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel April 30, 2005 in Washington D.C.
2005 Wimbledon
Venus Williams of the U.S. returns a backhand to Lindsay Davenport of the U.S. during their women's final match at the 119th Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 2, 2005.
2005 Wimbledon
Venus Williams of the U.S. falls as she tries for a shot from Lindsay Davenport of the U.S. during their women's final match at the 119th Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 2, 2005.
Williams' win against Davenport was the longest women's singles match in Wimbledon history: 2 hours and 45 minutes, with a final score of 4-6, 7(7)-6(4), 9-7.
Miami
Tennis player Venus Williams poses for photographers on the red carpet during arrivals for the "Stars for Stars: A Celebration in Tennis Excellence," at the Four Seasons Hotel on March 21, 2006 in Miami, Florida.
2008 Wimbledon
After losing to her sister Serena in the 2002 and 2003 Wimbledon women's singles finals, Venus Williams defeated Serena for the Wimbledon title in 2008, 7-5, 6-4.
The two sisters would face off again at Wimbledon in 2009, with Serena winning the final 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.
2008 Summer Olympics
Ai Sugiyama (top tight) and Ayumi Morita of Japan play against Serena Williams (bottom right) and Venus Williams of the U.S. in their women's double second-round tennis match during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing, August 15, 2008.
The Williams sisters defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain for the gold medal.
Hollywood
Tennis player Venus Williams arrives at the 2006 ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre on July 12, 2006 in Hollywood, Calif.
New York City
Venus Williams arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala, May 5, 2008 in New York City.
2009 Wimbledon
Venus Williams of the U.S. returns a ball to Russia's Dinara Safina during their semi-final match on Day 10 of the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships at the All England Club on July 2, 2009.
Though Williams lost to her sister in the women's singles final, the two defeated Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs of Australia for the tournament's women's doubles title.
New York Fashion Week
From left: Editor-at-large for Vogue North America Andre Leon Talley, tennis players Venus Williams and Serena Williams, and Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour attend the Zac Posen Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, September 11, 2008, in New York's Bryant Park.
2010 French Open
Serena Williams (left) and Venus Williams of the United States compete against Kveta Peschke of Czech Republic and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia on Day 13 of the French Open, at Roland Garros in Paris, June 4, 2010. The Williams sisters won the women's doubles title, 6-2, 6-3.
London
Venus Williams arrives at the WTA Tour Pre-Wimbledon Party at The Roof Gardens, Kensington on June 21, 2012 in London, England.
2012 Summer Olympics
Serena Williams (left) and Venus Williams of the United States return a shot against Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic during the Women's Doubles Tennis gold medal match on Day 9 of the London 2012 Olympic Games, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, August 5, 2012.
2012 Summer Olympics
Venus Williams (left) and Serena Williams of the United States confer during their women's doubles gold medal match against the Czech Republic's Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, during the London 2012 Olympic Games, at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, August 5, 2012. The Williams sisters won the match 6-4, 6-4 - their third shared Olympic gold.
2012 Summer Olympics
Americans Serena Williams (left) and Venus Williams celebrate on the podium after receiving their gold medal for women's doubles, at the London 2012 Olympic Games, August 5, 2012.
New York City
Tennis player Venus Williams attends Eleven by Venus Williams' Spring-Summer 2013 presentation behind the Grey Goose Blue Door, September 12, 2012 in New York City.
London
From left: Tennis players Vera Zvonareva, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Anne Keothavong and Elena Dementieva are photographed pose at The Ralph Lauren Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Pre-Wimbledon Party, at The Roof Gardens on June 18, 2009 in London, England.
2013 Pan Pacific Open
Venus Williams of the U.S. returns a shot from Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic during their semi-final match in the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo on September 27, 2013.
2014 Sony Open
Venus Williams acknowledges the crowd after defeating Anne Scmiedlova of Slovakia during the Sony Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 21, 2014 in Key Biscayne, Florida.
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By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan