As the older of the famous Williams sisters, Venus has yet to join Serena in becoming a wife and mother. But the tennis champion says it’s not a life achievement she aspires to have.
Venus graced the cover of Cosmopolitan for the magazine’s October issue and opened up about her goals for starting a family of her own. While fans can’t get enough of watching Serena raise her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., it looks like Venus is perfectly fine with her Aunty role.
She explained how she tackles societal pressures to start a family because she reached a certain age.
“I have a lot of friends who don’t believe me when I say that I like my life and I don’t want to change it for any reason. I’m not desperate and they don’t believe me,” Venus said.
“They say things like, ‘You’re going to miss your window.’ I’m like, ‘Please, relax. You might feel this way, but I don’t. I promise you I don’t,” she declared.
View this post on Instagram
Elsewhere in the interview, Venus kept the female empowerment flowing by praising the new era of female athletes who aren’t afraid to prioritize their mental health.
“I admire everyone who stands up for what is right, which isn’t easy,” Venus said of decorated tennis champion Naomi Osaka and her peers. “It takes strength, courage, and vulnerability. I love to see this next generation of players be willing and open to do that regardless of the cost to them.”
Her comments came a few weeks after shutting down the critics and naysayers during her press conference at the French Open.
“I know every single person asking me a question can’t play as well as I can and never will,” Venus said, as noted by Sports Illustrated. “No matter what you say or what you write, you’ll never light a candle to me.”