Game, set, match! Venus WilliamsWhile answering questions from tennis stars, they kept it real Jamie Murray at a press conference over the weekend — especially when asked about sister Serena Williams.
Murray, 36, and Venus, 42, were both part of the mixed doubles competition at Wimbledon. They won their first round match against Michael Venus Alicja RosolskaSaturday, July 2. Following the victory, one reporter asked the duo whether they wanted to go head-to-head against Serena, 40, and Jamie’s brother, Andy MurrayIn the tournament.
“Are you in it to win it or is it the first target to get past the third round where Serena and Andy became a cropper?” the reporter said, per a video from the BBC. The question referred to Serena and Andy’s respective defeats in earlier rounds of the singles competition at Wimbledon.
Venus looked at Jamie with disbelief. “What kind of question is that?” she clapped back. “We’re in it for a stroll. Like, come on!”
Serena Williams, Venus Williams George Pimentel/Shutterstock
“Are you in it for the experience or are you going to go all the way?” the reporter went on to ask, to which Venus replied, “Are you going to write a good article or just a halfway decent one?” as Jamie laughed.
Unfortunately, Venus and British lost the next round. They could not convert five match points in a marathon tiebreaker against Alicia Barnett Johnny O’Mara.
Wimbledon was Venus’ first tournament in more than ten months. Though she didn’t walk away a champion, the California native — along with her sister — is known as one of the greatest in tennis history. Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, and a total of 57 Grand Slam singles titles over the years. Venus, for her part is the only female tennis player of the Open Era who has won Olympic gold medals both in singles as doubles.
Serena Williams and Venus Williams Matt Baron/Shutterstock
After their tennis playing was questionable, the sisters went viral earlier in the year. On March 13, filmmaker Jane Campion mentioned the sports stars — who were attending the 2022 Critics’ Choice Awards in support of King Richard, a movie based on their father’s life — while accepting the Best Director trophy for The Power of the DogAt the ceremony
“Venus and Serena, you’re such marvels,” the Bright StarDirector, 67, spoke on stage. “However, you don’t play against the guys like I have to.”
The comment drew intense ire from fans, who pointed out the false dichotomy of the idea that the Williamses are only as successful as they are because they don’t compete against men.
The controversy was addressed by the New Zealand native one day later. “I made a thoughtless comment equating what I do in the film world with all that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have achieved. I did not intend to devalue these two legendary Black women and world-class athletes,” Campion noted on March 14, per Variety. “The fact is the Williams sisters have, actually, squared off against men on the court (and off), and they have both raised the bar and opened doors for what is possible for women in this world.”
The Piano filmmaker continued: “The last thing I would ever want to do is minimize remarkable women. I love Serena, Venus. Their accomplishments are amazing and inspiring. Serena and Venus, I apologize and completely celebrate you.”
The athletes didn’t publicly comment on Campion’s remark.
