Another case of Williams\u2019 outfoxing time: Hingis would retire in 2003, at the age of 22, and again in 2007.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Swiss would return to the tour for her final comeback in 2013, solely to play doubles for four seasons. Williams, meanwhile, has never left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For three decades and counting, the Compton native continues to live her dream on her terms, and she will go down not just as a Hall of Famer who dominated the sport for extended stretches, but a perpetual source of inspiration that has forever captured the imagination of an adoring public.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whether it be singles, where she revolutionized the women\u2019s game with head-spinning speed and power, or doubles, where she went 14-0 Grand Slam finals with her sister Serena, Williams legacy will be defined by her prodigious appetite for battle as well as her excellence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stats don\u2019t lie: Williams\u2019 30-year career includes 49 Tour-level singles titles, a World No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles, and a combined 23 Grand Slam titles across all competitions, including seven in singles.<\/p>\n
Feeling patriotic? The Southern California native has also won four Olympic Gold Medals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her body of work speaks volumes, as does her willingness to continue defying odds. The journey continues: Venus Williams, true treasure of tennis, still has more to prove.<\/p>\n