‘Emancipation of Enslaved African-Americans!’ – Venus Williams and Coco Gauff Pay Tribute on Juneteenth Day

Juneteenth (or June 19th), also known as Jubilee Day and Emancipation Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It marks the day that slavery was finally abolished in the country back in 1865. In 2021, it was announced that Juneteenth will officially be the 12th federal holiday of the year after President Biden passed a law.

Various athletes around the United States have paid tribute on Juneteenth this year.

American tennis stars celebrate Juneteenth

The most famous African-American duo is undoubtedly the Williams sisters. The pair have claimed a combined 30 Grand Slams over their career. On the occasion of Juneteenth, Venus took to Instagram to pay tribute on this day. She posted a story saying, “Today is Juneteenth commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans!”

Rising star Coco Gauff was also one of the players to celebrate the day. She shared a photo on Instagram commemorating the occasion after her semi-final loss in Berlin. Two years ago, Gauff also uploaded a story explaining the significance of the historic day.

The Williams sisters have boycotted events in the past due to issues related to unsavory behavior from the crowd. Both sisters boycotted Indian Wells for more than a decade after various insults were hurled, particularly at Venus and Richard Williams, during the final of the tournament in 2001. Serena later referred to the crowd as a ‘genteel lynch mob’ in her autobiography.

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Will Venus Williams’ return to Tour?

Williams has been out of action ever since August of last year. However, she could soon return to competitive action later this year. With sister Serena returning to Wimbledon after a year’s gap, Venus is “still in the incubator.” Talking at BIO2022 she said, “I have a new love for the game, it’s so much fun and I cannot wait to see her (Serena) and support her.”

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Venus is a former World No. 1 and multiple Grand Slam winner. She has been one of the most dominant figures on the WTA Tour in the last two decades. Her return is highly anticipated by tennis fans all around the world.