Venus Williams' former coach Rick Macci believes the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion will retire when she "wants to" as she prepares to rejoin the tour next season.
If she does hit the tennis courts in March for the Sunshine Swing as she admitted, it will be for a biology-defying 30th season on the WTA tour. Venus will be approaching 44 and you start to wonder whether she was actually serious about playing until 50.
In spite of mounting pressure from pundits and fans to call time on her glittering career, the older Williams sister is not burdened by outside noise. Venus has earned praise from her ex-coach Macci because of her dedication to her craft.
The 68-year-old American coach is the man credited for laying the groundwork for the Williams Sisters to tread the tennis career path back in 1991. It's not rocket science that with aging, players lose a lot of their natural physical power.
But in Venus' case, Macci states, during an episode of the Match Point Canada podcast, that she remains a fan favorite and her love affair for the sport remains intact.
"As you know any athlete when they get to the fourth quarter of the back nine, it's hard to hang it up. Football, baseball, hockey, you know, when your skills may diminish a little bit. But, it's their decision. You can't listen to say, you are not as quick as you were. Not as fast, whatever. That time will come. She loves to play. It's a must-see TV. Everybody loves Vee. She is going to do it when she wants to."
Venus Williams played just 10 matches during an injury-ravaged 2023 season, and even at 43 and playing with one deteriorating knee following a nasty fall at Wimbledon, she managed to upset the likes of Veronika Kudermetova and Camila Giorgi.
Macci explains how the tennis world can be so unforgiving when it comes to criticism, veering to focus on the legendary American's losses rather than her season's brightest moments. The 68-year-old adds that Venus has nothing left to prove in tennis and will leave the stage on her own terms.
"But Venus beat what 14 in the world at Wimbledon? But she had such a bad loss at the US Open that it was magnified. You know what I am saying. She got beat bad. She'll do it when she is ready. But, she just loves to play, she just loves to be out there. I mean she has nothing to prove."
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