Tennis champion Venus Williams is enjoying every moment of her life as is, which means that her friends and family who’ve been wondering when she’ll be ready to bring another little tennis star into the world will have to wait.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist has trained and competed in the sport since she was a child, so now that she’s reaping the benefits of her hard work, Williams admits that she’s in absolutely no rush to take on the title of mom as well.
“I have a lot of friends who don’t believe me when I say that I like my life and I don’t want to change it for any reason,” the star athlete told Cosmopolitan. “I’m not desperate and they don’t believe me,” she says, with a slight chuckle, about being single. “They say things like, ‘You’re going to miss your window.’ I’m like, ‘Please, relax. You might feel this way, but I don’t. I promise you I don’t.’”
While it sounds like her sister Serena’s 4-year-old daughter won’t be getting a cousin by way of Venus any time soon, Williams has been keeping her eye on the next generation in a different way. Young athletes including Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, and Sha’Carri Richardson have been making headlines more regularly for speaking out about unfair rules and regulations in sports and putting their mental health first. The boldness and skill that female athletes of color are displaying is making the pioneer proud.
“I admire everyone who stands up for what is right, which isn’t easy,” complimented Williams. “It takes strength, courage, and vulnerability. I love to see this next generation of players be willing and open to do that regardless of the cost to them.”
Although Williams has jokingly called herself “undateable” in the past and largely keeps her private life private, she’s had her fair share of love interests over the years including Cuban model Elio Pis, golfer Hank Kuehne, and publishing heir Nicholas Hammond.
