Venus Williams Net Worth 2024: Tennis Legend’s $95 Million Fortune

Venus Williams, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and a former tennis world no. 1, has left the courts behind. She still continues to amass millions through endorsement deals, business ventures, and other projects.

As of 2024, Venus Williams’ net worth is estimated at $95 million.

Williams is widely recognized not only for her tennis performances but also as the first African American woman to be ranked world no. 1 in singles titles on three separate occasions. People also know her for her very public fight for equal pay in sports, as well as her more recent work on the 2021 film King Richard.

The tennis force started playing professionally in 1994 and was soon joined by her younger sister Serena Williams, another unbelievable talent. To date, no other female player in tennis has come close to matching the Williams sisters’ performances (or their net worth).

In this article, we’ll explore Venus Williams’ rise to fame and discover her impressive net worth.

Venus Williams’ Net Worth Breakdown:

Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, multiple Grand Slam titles, and many other prestigious titles during her playing career. Her on-court professional career has contributed millions to her net worth, as you’ll see below.

Our research showed that this is only a small portion of what contributes to Venus Williams’ net worth, with the bulk of it coming from endorsement deals.

She’s earned $52 million from her deals with just one brand and most likely millions more from the many other deals she’s signed.

On top of this, Williams is a very successful businesswoman, meaning she’s earning quite a lot from her companies and investments, too. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the main assets and investments that have contributed to her wealth.

7 Interesting Facts About Venus Williams

1. First African-American woman to hold the World No. 1 ranking in tennis, a position she achieved three times.
2. With her sister Serena, she’s won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, holding a 14-0 record in Grand Slam finals.
3. Has won four Olympic gold medals, the most by any tennis player, and a silver in mixed doubles.
4. Played a key role in achieving equal prize money at Wimbledon and the French Open, making her a pioneer for gender equality in sports.
5. Executive producer for the 2021 biopic King Richard, which chronicles her father’s influence and was nominated for multiple awards.
6. Diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome in 2011, a challenge she’s managed while continuing her career in professional tennis.
7. Minority owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins alongside her sister Serena, making them trailblazers in sports ownership.

Latest News & Controversies

• 2024 Comeback Plans: Although she hasn’t played regularly since 2021, Williams has hinted at a return to tennis in 2024, sparking excitement among fans. She intends to continue competing despite injuries that have sidelined her over recent years.
• Impact of King Richard: The 2021 film King Richard, which Williams co-produced, received widespread acclaim and contributed to increased visibility for Venus and Serena’s early tennis journey. However, some family members criticized the film’s portrayal of their father, adding complexity to its success.
• Ongoing Equal Pay Advocacy: Venus Williams remains vocal about equal pay in sports. In recent interviews, she’s advocated for broader equality across sports beyond tennis, highlighting that while progress has been made, there’s still work to be done for many athletes.
• Chronic Illness Advocacy: Diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, Williams frequently speaks about managing her autoimmune disease and has become an advocate for awareness. She has shared updates on her journey, inspiring fans with her resilience.

Early Life and Education

Venus Ebony Starr Williams was born in Lynwood, California, on June 17, 1980.

Her parents are Richard Williams and Oracene Price. In addition to her sister Serena Williams, Venus has three half-sisters on her mother’s side – Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha; as well as six half-siblings from her father’s side: Sabrina, Reneeka, Richard III, Ronner, Reluss, Chavoita, and Dylan.

Richard and Oracene wed in 1980 and divorced in 2002. Upon marrying, Richard Williams became stepfather to Oracene’s three children and they all lived together.

Today, the family of seven is immortalized in the Oscar-nominated film King Richard, which Venus Williams executive produced for Netflix.

When Venus Williams was seven years old, professional local tennis player Tony Chesta spotted her talent. At the age of eleven, the Williams family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, so that Venus and Serena could attend Rick Macci’s tennis academy.

Despite their amazing progress and results, the parents decided to stop sending their daughters to national junior tennis tournaments that same year.

They wanted them to live their childhood focused on their schoolwork and not jump into a professional career so early. At this time, Venus Williams had a 63-0 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour (revealing her absolutely staggering talent).

She was also ranked no. 1 among Southern California’s under-12 players.

In 1995, Richard Williams decided to pull both his daughters out of Macci’s tennis academy. They didn’t quit playing tennis, though; he took over their coaching at home.

In 2007, Venus Williams obtained a fashion degree from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. In 2011, she enrolled at Indiana University East and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. She enrolled at the school through an agreement between the university and the Women’s Tennis Association, which allowed athletes to continue to play tennis professionally while studying online.

Personal Life

In 2003, Venus and Serena Williams’ sister Yetunde Price, who also worked as their personal assistant, was shot dead in Compton, California, near the courts where they used to practice.

Price was reportedly sitting with a man in a car when she was shot, and even though he immediately took her to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, she succumbed to her injuries soon after.

Three years later, a man named Robert Maxfield was convicted of her murder.

“We are extremely shocked, saddened, and devastated by the shooting death of our beloved Yetunde. She was our nucleus and our rock. She was a personal assistant, confidante, and adviser to her sisters, and her death leaves a void that can never be filled. Our grief is overwhelming, and this is the saddest day of our lives,” shared the family shortly after her passing.

In 2011, Venus Williams was diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease. This forced her to withdraw from the US Open and, after the diagnosis, she had to adopt a vegan diet and reduce her sugar and calorie intake.

Six years later, when she was driving in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, her car collided with another vehicle. The crash killed a 78-year-old man, but it was later determined that it was caused by an unidentified third driver, not Williams.

As for her relationships, Venus Williams dated golfer Hank Huehne until 2010. Between 2012 and 2015, she dated Cuban model Elio Pis. Until 2019, she dated publisher Nicholas Hammond.

Venus Williams Net Worth: Becoming Grand on the Tennis Court

Venus Williams has had an impressive tennis career on the court. She turned professional at 14 and has since won four Olympic Gold medals and many other prestigious awards. Let’s see how her professional career progressed over the years.

Career Beginnings

Williams officially turned professional on October 31, 1994, playing former NCAA singles champion Shaun Stafford at the Silicon Valley Classic in Oakland. She beat her in an impressive two sets and was up against world no. 2 Arantxa Sanches Vicario in the second, but lost the match.

After playing in several tournaments in 1995-6, Williams played an impressive 15 tour events in 1997 alone. She slowly started climbing the ranks and initially reached the quarterfinals in three of five Tier I events she competed in:

• State Farm Evert Cup, Compton, California
• Kremlin Cup, Moscow
• European Indoor Championships, Zurich

In April of the same year, Williams made her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament (French Open), when she reached the second round but lost to Nathalie Tauziat. Next, she debuted at the US Open, where she defeated Irina Spirlea in the semifinal and lost the final to Martina Hingis.

Williams Enters the Top 10

In 1998, in her debut at the Australian Open, Venus Williams defeated her sister Serena Williams in the second round in their first professional meeting. She would later defeat her again at the Italian Open in Rome that same year.

Fast forward three weeks, and she defeated Davenport (no. 2 at the time) and Joannette Kruger in the Cellular South Cup semifinals in Oklahoma City, winning the first singles titles of her career.

This same year, the now-famous tennis star won the Tier I Lipton International Players Championship which took place in Key Biscayne, Florida. By March, she’s inched into the top 10 list for the very first time.

In 1998, Williams won another title at the Grand Slam Cup in Munich when she defeated Patty Schnyder in the final. All these victories gave her enough points to participate in the WTA Tour Championships, but she had to withdraw from the tournament because of tendonitis in her knee.

The same year, Venus Williams won the mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and the French Open with Justin Gimelstob while her sister Serena Williams won the other two Grand Slams mixed doubles. The duo then won their first two women’s doubles titles in Oklahoma City and Zurich and became the third pair of sisters to win a WTA tour doubles tournament.

By the end of the year, Williams was ranked no. 5.

The Williams sisters have won multiple Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles to date:

• Australian Open: 6 titles (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010)
• French Open: 2 titles (1999, 2010)
• Wimbledon: 6 titles (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016)
• US Open: 2 titles (1999, 2009)

Climbing the Ranks and Winning Gold Medals

In 1999, Venus Williams had a standout season, earning significant achievements. She won three Tier I titles, including the Italian Open, WTA Hamburg, and the Zurich Open. She then defended her titles in Key Biscayne and Oklahoma City and made history when she faced her sister Serena Williams in the first WTA Tour final contested by two sisters in history.

In doubles, the duo teamed up once again for their first Grand Slam doubles finals victory at the French Open, and later their second at the US Open. By the end of the year, Williams reached world no. 3 and played a crucial role in the US Fed Cup team’s victory over Russia.

Even though this was a good season, the next one was even better for the tennis player. She missed five months of 2000 due to tendonitis but made an incredible comeback. For starters, she defeated Martina Hingis, her sister Serena, and Lindsay Davenport and won her first Grand Slam singles title at the Wimbledon finals.

Her season became more and more remarkable in the months that followed. Venus Williams won three Tier II titles and triumphed at the US Open, securing her second Grand Slam singles title.

The point where she truly shined was at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where she won not one, but two Olympic gold medals – one in singles and one in doubles with Serena. By this point, it was clear that both Venus and Serena would be dominating the sport for decades to come.

Reigning Champion and Continued Triumphs

After winning her two Olympic gold medals, Venus Williams continued her winning streak. She added to her legacy by winning two consecutive Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and US Open. At the latter, she defeated her sister Serena Williams in the final, marking the first time the two faced off in the Grand Slam in the Open Era.

When she won these two, Venus Williams became one of six women to win both tournaments in back-to-back years.

Joined by her sister Serena, Venus won the doubles title at the Australian Open, completing their Career Golden Slam in women’s doubles.

By the end of 2001, Venus Williams had reached a career-high ranking of world no. 2. However, this changed the following year.

In 2002, Venus became the world no. 1 for the very first time – and the first African-American woman to achieve this. She started the year strong, winning titles at the Open Gaz de France, Mondial Australian Women’s Hardcourts, and Proximus Diamond Games.

She also won the Amelia Island Championships, New Haven, and San Diego. By the end of the year, she had won seven titles, the most in her career for a single season.

In 2002, in the final of the French Open, she met her sister Serena for a second time in the Grand Slam final, but her sister won this time.

Triumphs Amidst Adversity

Between 2002 and 2003, Williams reached four consecutive major finals but lost both times to her sister. She did claim the Proximous Diamond Games title for the second time, though.

Despite her successes, injuries hampered her season and resulted in an early exit from the French Open.

The following year, the tennis star struggled with inconsistency but still won two major titles – the Warsaw Open and the Family Circle Cup. In 2005, she won her third Wimbledon singles title and the Istanbul Cup before injuries once again caused her to miss the next events on the tour.

In 2006, Williams spent much of the season battling a wrist injury. She had to withdraw from the US Open, missed key tournaments, and ended the year ranked no. 46.

She eventually returned in February 2007 when she secured another singles title by defeating Shahar Pe’er in a final. Afterward, she triumphed over Marion Bartoli in the Wimbledon finals, winning her fourth Wimbledon title and becoming one of four women in the Open Era to do so.

By the end of the year, she was back in the top 10, holding the ninth spot on the list.

Piling Up Victories

Despite the many setbacks and injuries, Venus Williams kept pushing the boundaries in tennis.

She reached her seventh Wimbledon final without dropping a set in 2008 and defeated her sister Serena Williams to claim her fifth Wimbledon singles title and seventh Grand Slam title.

By the end of 2008, Williams claimed her second title at the Zurich Open and won the year-ending WTA Tour Championships in Doha.

In 2009, Williams won her 40th professional singles title when she beat Virginie Razzano at the Dubai Tennis Championship.

In 2010, Williams captured her 43rd career title at the Mexican Open and reached the Miami Open final. Despite a knee injury, she achieved success at the French Open as well, winning her fourth consecutive Grand Slam doubles title with her sister Serena. At this point, the Williams sisters were the first siblings to hold the no. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles.

Retirement, Comeback, and an Olympic Gold Medal

The following year, 2011, was challenging for the tennis star. Her difficulties included a hip injury that forced her to retire during the Australian Open, her first retirement in a Grand Slam since 1994. When she was later diagnosed with Sjögren syndrome, this caused her to withdraw from other tournaments, as well, and her ranking plummeted to no. 102.

However, this was far from the end of Williams’ career. In 2012, she made a remarkable comeback when she returned to the WTA tour. The Williams sisters won once again at the Wimbledon finals and Venus was victorious at the Luxembourg Open.

The highlight of this period came during the London Olympics, where the sisters dominated the doubles event and won their third Olympic gold medal.

Resurgence After Injuries

Williams’ injuries hadn’t yet ended, though. In 2013, she faced another challenging year because of a back injury. She had to retire from the Miami Open and exit at the French Open and Wimbledon.

However, the following year, she triumphed over five top-40 players at the Dubai Tennis Championships and won her first title since 2010. By 2015, she had reestablished herself in the top ten, starting with the victory at the Aukland Open and the Wuhan Open.

This success led Williams to become an alternate for the WTA Finals and eventually led to her first WTA Elite Trophy title, adding further to her accomplishments.

In 2017, Williams reached the final at the Australian Open for the first time since 2009.

She lost to her sister Serena, but this took her back to elite competition after years of battling different injuries. At Wimbledon, she reached her ninth final but ultimately lost to Garbine Muguruza.

As the season progressed, Williams solidified her status as one of the top players in women’s tennis. She qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time since 2009 and finished as the runner-up to Serena Williams in the final.

Struggle Years on the Tennis Court

Venus Williams experienced a difficult phase in her tennis career between 2018 and today, marked by fluctuating rankings, numerous injuries, and, as a result, her exits from major tournaments.

Her 2018 season, for instance, started on a disappointing note when she faced an early loss to Angelique Kerber in the Sydney International.

The Australian Open was equally disappointing and Williams ended her streak of seven consecutive appearances in the second week of the Grand Slam events. She did excel in the Fed Cup though, when she won in both singles matches against the Netherlands.

By the end of 2018, Venus Williams found herself ranked no. 40. This was the lowest year-end ranking she had since 2013.

The following year, her struggles continued. She faced early exits at the Australian and French Open and was defeated in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated her career trajectory in the following years. After a prolonged break, she struggled once she returned to compete, failing to win matches in the US Open, among other tournaments.

In 2021, this caused her to fall out of the top 100 for the first time since 2011, but she still made her record-breaking 90th Grand Slam appearance at Wimbledon.

When Serena Williams decided to retire in 2022, Venus Williams decided to retire from doubles. She was facing ongoing struggles this year as well and, while she tried to kickstart her 30th year on the WTA Tour in 2023, she once again was injured.

As of 2024, Venus Williams has shared that she plans to return to the tennis court – so she isn’t retired just yet.

Biggest Achievements in Tennis

Venus Williams has had one of the richest, most profitable careers in the history of tennis.

When she won silver in mixed doubles with Rajeev Ram in 2016, Williams became the first player to win a medal at four Olympic games and in all three tennis events.

In 2017, with her run to the Wimbledon finals for singles titles, she beat the record for the longest time between a tennis player’s first and most recent major finals appearances. Serena Williams surpassed her record at the 2019 US Open, though.

As previously noted, at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she became the second player in history to win Olympic gold medals in both doubles and singles (preceded only by Helen Wills Moody at the Summer Olympics of 1924).

At the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, she became the all-time leader – male or female – in Grand Slam tournaments played, 90 in total.

To date, Venus Williams has won four Olympic Gold medals. One of these medals was in singles, while the Williams sisters won the other three in women’s doubles. In addition to this, Venus Williams has one silver medal in mixed doubles, which ties her with Kathleen McKane Godfree for the most Olympic medals won by a tennis player.

Venus and Serena Williams are the only two women and only tennis players in history to win four Olympic gold medals.

Career Earnings

The Williams sisters are said to have created a new era of power on the women’s professional tennis tour.

By 2017, Venus Williams had earned an impressive $38 million on the tennis court. This was when she became the second highest-earning female tennis player of all time, right behind her sister Serena Williams, who earned $85 million.

According to the WTA, Venus Williams has won a total of over $42.648 million in her career, with $53,300 won in the 2024 season so far.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise since, in 2019, Williams was officially the 10th highest-paid female athlete worldwide. She earned $5.9 million in 2019 alone, $5 million of which came from endorsement deals.

Philanthropy

Over the years, Venus Williams has donated a lot of her wealth to charities and helped numerous philanthropic organizations.

She recently partnered with CARE, one of the largest humanitarian organizations worldwide, to encourage support for girls’ education in the developing world. She contributed $25,000 for a two-week campaign to support vocational training in Malawi, among other donations.

Williams has worked with the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program, focused on the sport, making significant donations to the program. A nonprofit that is especially close to her heart is the Yetunde Price Resource Center, named after her late sister.

The nonprofit promotes community-wide healing and provides access to resources to victims of direct or indirect violence.

Williams is also famous for her continuous fight for equal prize money.

In 2005, despite many protests by Billie Jean King and others, Wimbledon and the French Open both refused to pay women and men equally. This led to Williams’ first meeting with tournament officials, arguing that a female tennis player should be paid as much as their male counterparts.

The following year, The Times published an essay in which Venus Williams accused Wimbledon of being on the “wrong side of history”. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as well as several members of Parliament, publicly endorsed her arguments.

That same year, the Women’s Tennis Association and UNESCO partnered up for a campaign to promote gender equality in sports, with Williams leading the campaign.

In February 2007, Wimbledon announced that it would award equal prize money to all competitors, and the French Open followed suit only a day later.

Somewhere in the world, a little girl is dreaming of holding a giant trophy in her hands and being viewed as an equal to boys who have similar dreams.

After the major change, Williams became the first woman to benefit from this equalization of prize money at Wimbledon, winning the 2007 tournament, and she got the same prize as Roger Federer, the male winner.

Her fight for equality was then documented in Nine for IX, Venus Vs., a documentary from 2013.

In 2020, Williams launched her #CoachVenus workouts on Instagram Live, using them as fundraisers for the Equal Justice Initiatives. Her goal is to match all donations to the nonprofit.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Venus Williams (@venuswilliams)

In 2020, Williams launched her #CoachVenus workouts on Instagram Live, using them as fundraisers for the Equal Justice Initiatives. Her goal is to match all donations to the nonprofit.

Investments, Assets, and Business Ventures of Venus Williams

Venus Williams is one of the most decorated tennis players in the world, but that is not all she’s known for. Over the years, she has been earning a fortune from endorsement deals, business investments, and more.

Business Ventures

Venus Williams founded her own interior design company V Starr Interiors in Jupiter, Florida, and currently operates as its chief executive officer.

This company was behind the set design of the Travis Smiley Show on PBS, many residences and business offices in Palm Beach, Florida, as well as the apartments for Olympic athletes in New York City’s failed bid to host the Olympics in 2012.

She founded the business in 2002, guided by her passion for design.

“Design has always been a passion of mine and I am proud to have built a team that can deliver consistently at the highest level,” she said.

In 2007, Williams launched her own fashion line EleVen in collaboration with Steve & Barry’s, which debuted during the 2012 New York Fashion Week. She is known to wear outfits from this line on the tennis court.

In June 2009, Venus and Serena invested in the Miami Dolphins NFL team, becoming minority owners of the franchise. This made them the first African-American women to own a major stake in an NFL team.

Authorship

In June 2010, Venus Williams released her first authored book titled Come to Win; On How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession.

She co-wrote this book with Kelly E. Carter, and to promote it, she went on a nationwide tour that same year. On top of this, she appeared on talk shows such as Good Morning America and The Early Show.

The book’s quality and promotion helped it reach the top five on The New York Times bestseller list.

Endorsement Deals

The bulk of Venus Williams’ net worth comes not from her career prize money, but from endorsement deals. The famous athlete has been earning millions from sponsorships and endorsements. At the peak of her career, she reportedly made $5 – $10 million per year from endorsements alone.

The details for most of her deals haven’t been publicly disclosed, but we did manage to find some useful data. Venus signed her first endorsement deal with Reebok when she was 15 years old in 1995. The 5-year deal added $12 million to her growing net worth.

Five years later, in 2000, she signed another five-year agreement with the same brand for a reported $40 million, the highest endorsement deal ever awarded to a female athlete.

In King Richard, the film about Venus’ father, there’s a mention of a $3 million endorsement offer from Nike, but as the movie shares, she turns down the deal.

In addition to her widely publicized deal with Reebok, Williams has partnered with many other major brands including American Express, Stitch Fix, Wilson, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Ralph Lauren, Tide, Kraft, and Lacoste. The details of her earnings from these deals haven’t been disclosed to the public.

Real Estate Assets

Venus Williams has invested heavily in real estate, too.

In 2019, she spent $10 million on her waterfront “retirement home”, which comes with its own beach and private cottage. The mansion is located on Jupiter Island in Florida and has two guesthouses in addition to the main house, a pool – but no tennis court.

The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, acquired a Palm Beach Gardens mansion in Florida in 1998 for $525,000 – and both lived in it for years. They eventually sold the property two decades later for $2.7 million.

King Richard

In 2021, Venus Williams was the executive producer of the biopic about her father, King Richard. Will Smith, the film’s lead, earned an Academy Award for this role.

She has most likely earned millions for this, as well, but the numbers haven’t been publicly disclosed.

What Can We Learn from Venus Williams’ Story?

Venus Williams’ journey from a young tennis prodigy to a global icon has many lessons to teach – and not only about the sport. Her story is one of determination, resilience, and advocacy.

Throughout her illustrious career, Williams has encountered numerous setbacks and more injuries than most athletes. She’s also encountered personal tragedies like the death of her sister, and health challenges like a diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome. Despite these obstacles, she has consistently demonstrated resilience and made many comebacks, continuing to compete at the highest levels.

This ability to persevere teaches us the importance of not letting setbacks define your life and your journey.

While she achieved immense success in the tennis world, Venus still prioritized her education. She has earned degrees in fashion, which she is also passionate about, as well as business administration. Her commitment to personal growth underscores the importance of lifelong learning. It also teaches us that success in one area shouldn’t preclude the pursuit of excellence in others.

Venus’ ventures beyond tennis, including her design company and fashion line, as well as her diverse investments, showcase her entrepreneurial spirit. By leveraging her resources and her brand, she’s built successful businesses that diversify her income streams.

One of Williams’ most significant contributions off the court is her fight for equal pay in sports. Her advocacy has been relentless, leading eventually to landmark changes in prize money at major tournaments. This goes to show how athletes and other public figures can use their platforms to drive social change and promote equality.