Venus Williams remains one of the most legendary figures in tennis.
Williams, who made her return to the Tour in August last year, made her WTA debut at Bank of the West Classic in October 1994, at the age of 14.
It’s the end of the 2026 season… How many matches has Venus Williams won this year? Where is she ranked? Let us know in the comments👇
Four years earlier, Williams was afforded the opportunity to practice with seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe.
Speaking on TNT Sports on Thursday afternoon, Williams discussed the hilarious reaction she had after practicing with McEnroe.
Venus Williams told her dad ‘I can beat him’ after practicing with John McEnroe
Venus, who was sat alongside John Isner, Caroline Wozniacki and Sam Querrey on the TNT Sports panel, reflected on one particular story from her youth.
When asked by host Adam Lefkoe to name her tennis inspirations as a child, Venus responded: “Growing up, I was able to hit with Zina Garrison. Actually, I hit with John McEnroe once, and this is a very funny story.
“After we hit, I told my dad ‘I can beat him.’ [laughing].
“And I’m 10 years old, and I start describing to him how I can beat him and why I can beat him and my dad started saying, ‘no you can’t.’
“But then he realised, I shouldn’t break her confidence, so he started saying, ‘yeah Venus, you could.’
“And I have no idea why I got in my head that I could beat John McEnroe at 10 years old. Absolutely not.
“But those experiences are very inspiring and what’s interesting is as a professional you don’t realise you’re going to have an impact on other people,” Venus, a seven-time major singles champion, added.
“Your dream is just to go win and then at some point, just by doing something positive in your life, you impact others.
“So I think those kinds of stories are beyond your dreams, beyond anything you could have ever dreamed of in your life.
“And that’s what makes this all worth it, right?”
Do you back yourself to win a point against John McEnroe?
67 years of experience!
Who is John McEnroe?
McEnroe, born in New York, is one of the most successful and well-recognised players in tennis history.
The American competed on the professional circuit from 1978 to 2006, winning an Open Era record of 155 career titles: 77 in singles, 77 in doubles and 1 in mixed doubles.
McEnroe, a winner of 17 Grand Slam titles, is also well-known for his iconic outburst at Wimbledon, where he questioned a chair umpire’s decision by shouting ‘you cannot be serious!’
Since officially retiring from his playing career in 2006, McEnroe has gone on to become one of the most well-recognised faces in tennis punditry.
The American star is often heard in the commentary booth and on broadcasting panels, offering his opinions on current tennis affairs.
McEnroe is still commentating to this day. At this year’s Roland Garros, he has been working for TNT Sports.
