Venus Williams has highlighted the importance of maintaining positive mental health as she continues her professional tennis revival.
Williams returned for grass court season this year when she made her first appearance since January at the Libema Open, where the former world number one lost against Celine Naef in the first round of the WTA 250 competition.
But the 43-year-old American showed improvements at the Birmingham Classic recently when she defeated Camila Giorgi over three sets before losing to world number 17 Jelena Ostapenko. Following an early exit in Birmingham, Williams will now turn her attention to Wimbledon - a Grand Slam event she has won five times during her career.
Few players have competed at SW19 at the age of 43 and the tennis veteran explained to NBC that she wouldn't still be competing without focussing on her mental health.
"Tennis … is as mental as it is physical. You can be the strongest, fastest player in the world with the best technique, but if you’re not mentally strong, you’ll never be able to succeed at the highest level. If I weren’t consciously working to sustain my mental health, I wouldn’t be able to play as long as I have at this level."
A successful run at Wimbledon could be a step too far for Williams this season, especially as she has only played three matches since making her comeback. In addition, the 43-year-old has not made a Wimbledon final since 2017 and her last win came in 2008.
But, coming into the Grand Slam as an outsider is unlikely to deter Williams. In fact, she remains positive about producing some improving form in the grass season and is thankful that she can still play tennis at the professional level.
"I’m excited to keep building on my performance as I continue playing throughout the summer tournament season. Ultimately, I’m just so happy to continue doing what I love."
0 Comments