?Found Myself in a Situation Where You Have to Speak Up? – Venus Williams Opens Up on What Fueled Her Historic Equal Pay Advocacy at Wimbledon

Tennis, a sport that is known for its high levels of integrity, went through several stages of development to become what it is now. While the two major associations, ATP and WTA, have been managing the competitions efficiently for a long time, equal pay for women was a segment that required sacrifices from many tennis legends, including Billie Jean King and Venus Williams. Recently, Williams opened up about how she thought of advocating for the equality of pay for women in Wimbledon Championships, calling it ‘one of the highlights’ of her career.

Venus Williams, the legend who is known for her remarkable achievements on the court, didn’t just limit her career to that. She, along with other legendary entities, revolutionized the image of women’s tennis in front of the world.

Tennis legend Venus Williams reveals the unexpected realization of her advocacy for equal pay

Back in 2005, Venus Williams took a bold move of standing before the Grand Slam Committee, to present a demand for equal prize money for women at Wimbledon. Being stiff on her mission to achieve the unexpected, she raised her concern to the pages of The Times by writing a letter that made her voice for fairness heard. As she continued making consistent efforts for the cause, women’s tennis finally achieved success in 2007 when she became the first women’s champion to receive the same winnings as the male champion did.

Looking back on this achievement, Venus Williams recently shared her thoughts on the incident. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, she mentioned, “It was something I wasn?t expecting to be a part of. I just wanted to go in and win, play Wimbledon, as a childhood dream. And then you go there and it?s not equal.

“So I found myself in a situation where you have to speak up, and it?s definitely been one of the highlights of my career, being part of something much bigger than me.”

As the legend remembered the incident that brought a change that WTA players still admire, her thoughts not only highlighted the victory but also made fans remember the tough journey behind achieving this major milestone.

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A 40-year-long journey to achieve equality

For almost four decades, the idea of equal prize money for both men and women seemed to be fair and worth fighting for, yet it existed with ignorance. Venus Williams, besides being just a participant to take part in the prestigious event, decided to raise the issue and therefore, became the driving force behind this change that players still enjoy.

After her historic victory at Wimbledon in 2007, she mentioned, ?I was the first woman who could go into the [Wimbledon] finals focusing entirely on her game, instead of thinking, ?Hey, I?m not equal here,?”. This victory marked a historic turning point, not just limiting itself to tennis but growing beyond the boundaries of a single sport. Venus Williams’ remembrance of the incident made fans look back to the value of rising for the integrity of the sport. Any thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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