What Venus Williams predicted would happen to women’s tennis once she retired from the sport

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Venus Williams is, remarkably, still a professional tennis player at the age of 45.

Williams made her return to the tour at the Washington Open this year and featured at both the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, in what marked an astonishing display of longevity.

The American legend has been on the WTA Tour for over 30 years now, having made her debut at the age of 14 in 1994.

Williams and her sister, Serena Williams, took tennis to new heights during their primes, and many thought their level could never be topped.

However, in 2002, Venus made a prediction suggesting exactly the opposite would happen.

Venus Williams’ prediction about the WTA Tour’s future in 2002

In an interview with ‘The Independent’ that year, she was asked about Martina Navratilova‘s impact on the sport.

“She revolutionised the game, for sure, made people work harder. She was the forerunner of power tennis,” said Williams.

Navratilova recorded one of the greatest careers in tennis history from 1974 to 2006, tallying an Open Era record of 59 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles.

Though she recognised the magnitude of Navratilova’s accomplishments, the then-world number one, Williams, stated her era was much different compared to that of her elder compatriot.

She explained: “It is definitely a different game. I think it would be a shame if tennis had regrets, but just like everything else in this world, technology and all that kind of thing, everything’s moving forward.

“So that’s what’s going to happen. After me, there will be better girls, and I’ll just sit back and watch it.”

Venus Williams’ correct prediction proves comparing eras is futile

While it may seem a tame and obvious prediction in hindsight, Williams’ words aged well, with the current level of women’s tennis on display greater than any level previously seen.

From the hard-hitting records produced by Aryna Sabalenka to the clay-court excellence of Iga Swiatek, it’s hard to deny that the current crop of stars on the WTA Tour is the best in history.

Many fans often engage in ‘GOAT’ debates, arguing over who they think is the greatest player of all time, but Williams’ statement proves that comparing players from different eras is simply futile.

There have been overlaps in the careers of stars from separate eras, as there was with Williams and Navratilova, but regardless, the improvements made in technology and sports science give today’s players a multitude of advantages.

The innovation in tennis will only continue to get better, and 50 years from now, there will likely be players operating at a level that the likes of Swiatek and Sabalenka could not compete with.

That is not to undermine the achievements of players from previous generations like Navratilova and Billie Jean-King, however, which of course, remain astonishing relative to the era.