Williams spoke to Grazia recently and discussed a multitude of topics including Serena Williams return and also separating home and work life from each other.
“No matter what you do, you have to leave the work behind at some point and be human. Separating those two has helped us understand where ambition lies and what it means. The people closest to you are the easiest to shut out or to get rough with. But those are the ones you can damage the most. So we’re always very careful about that, making sure home is always a place we can go to. Because out on the streets, it’s hard. The last thing you want is to come home and it’s hard too.”
She then touched on the Vallejo situation and said that he has to learn but also that she does have sympathy due to her own disdain for umpires. “He probably shouldn’t have spoken after such an emotional match. Perhaps there’s a moment of learning there. But I’m not a fan of any umpire. I don’t think any player really loves umpires – male or female. It’s just that you can’t let it go that far.”
Venus Williams sympathises with Vallejo in a way.
Pasta, escape rooms and getting older
Suffering with a strict autoimmune diet, she recently got married and said that she will allow herself to eat pasta and especially in Italy. “I’ve never wanted to let myself eat pasta,’ she says. ‘But this year I’ll have a chance to go to Italy more – and just eat the pasta.”
While she also touched upon an unexpected passion they both have for escape rooms and how she feels about getting older.
‘I was doing escape rooms on dates and every time I mentioned it the whole air went flat. Finally, I told him, “I go do escape rooms,” and he said, “You’re kidding. I love them!”’
Everything’s changing,’ she concludes. ‘But I feel good about myself. I don’t mind getting older, things changing, as long as I’m strong and healthy. If you take care of yourself, you’ll be happy with what you have. As long as I do that, I think I’ll be really happy. But if I don’t – I’m coming for myself.’