Venus Williams Opens Up About Importance Of Mental Health In Her Career

Venus Williams did not only rely on pure talent and hard work in achieving her dreams.

In almost every sport, mental health, more often than not, is one of the key elements to succeed.

Unfortunately, not all professional athletes are able to overcome everything that has been going on inside their heads.

This has not been the case for the seven-time Grand Slam winner.

In a recent interview with The New York Post, Williams opened up about how she managed to make it through in a highly-competitive and mentally exhausting sport such as tennis.

According to Williams, one of the major factors was the support system courtesy of her parents that she has had throughout her entire career, and especially during her early days in the sport.

“My parents were big proponents of mental health — not just self-care, but proactivity,” Williams revealed. “It was about realizing that the world is a beautiful place, but it’s also a challenging place, and that you have to prepare mentally to be able to handle the pressures.”

“I was able to succeed in places where others [didn’t] because I had that support from a young age,” she continued.

In an attempt to help others cope with mental health issues, the 41-year-old has teamed up with the WTA and online counseling platform “BetterHelp” to provide free therapy to anyone who needs it.

“There are no barriers,” she said of the program. “You just need a phone or a laptop and access to the Internet.”

In the 2021 movie "King Richard," fans got the opportunity to have a closer look at how the family has played an integral part in the Williams sisters’ illustrious career.

"I think you get to really see the ecosystem of my family," the tennis icon told ABC News of the movie last month. "It's not perfect, but all that matters is that you are going in the same direction together and building each other up.”

“That's what we did and that's what we do."

Despite being in the twilight years of her career, Williams has bluntly refused to entertain the idea of retirement.

Rumors have linked Williams’ name to possible retirement in the wake of the devastating Wimbledon 2021 defeat.

However, the two-time US Open champion stressed that she will let everybody know when it’s time for her to go.