Venus Williams (born June 17, 1980) is a legendary American tennis player who reached the world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles, amassing 7 singles majors (5 Wimbledon, 2 US Open) and 14 doubles majors alongside her sister Serena. Turning pro in 1994, she made history on February 25, 2002, by becoming the first African-American woman to hold the world No. 1 singles ranking in the Open era. Beyond her singles titles, she captured Olympic gold in singles (2000) and three doubles golds (2000, 2008, 2012) with Serena, adding a mixed doubles silver in 2016. Coached by her father Richard, the Williams sisters are credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism in women's tennis, though Venus's career was punctuated by injury battles and remarkable comebacks, including major finals in 2017. With over $42 million in career prize money, she ranks fourth all-time and was the season prize money leader in 2001 and 2017.