Venus Williams once opened up about her efforts to maintain a positive mindset even in challenging circumstances. She made the remarks in response to being asked about her reserved nature after her triumph at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships.
Despite winning her first four Grand Slam titles in quick succession, Williams faced a drought after losing five straight Major finals to her sister Serena Williams. She later entered the 2005 Wimbledon Championships as the 14th seed, with the aim to win her first Slam since the 2001 US Open.
Venus Williams made a stellar run to the final at SW19 after claiming a 7-6(2), 6-1 win over second seed Maria Sharapova in the semifinals. The American faced a very tough challenge against top seed Lindsay Davenport, but she secured a 4-6, 7-6(4), 9-7 win in the closely contested encounter and clinched her fifth Major.
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Speaking to reporters after her win, Williams was asked why she seemed more talkative and open in that press conference compared to her earlier ones. The American revealed that the reason behind her more restrained demeanor had been all the negativity she experienced in the media room.
Venus Williams also said that she always put in the effort to stay positive, as evidenced by her taking only a few days to feel sorry for herself before getting back to work.
"Well, I felt a lot of negativity all the time in here. That's not how I function. No matter how negative the situation, no matter what the situation is in my life, I always stay positive. I don't feed off that," Williams said. "I take a day or two to feel sorry for myself. But I always work harder each and every time."
"I wasn't supposed to win" - Venus Williams on the 'special meaning' behind her Wimbledon triumph
During the same press conference, Venus Williams shared that her triumph at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships held special meaning for her because she was the underdog and wasn't expected to win the title.
However, the American emphasized that she had never lost confidence in her ability to emerge victorious at the Majors. Williams also expressed her belief that it was her destiny to win many Slams.
"I think, for sure, it has special meaning. I was the 14th seed. I wasn't supposed to win. I guess whoever put a bet on me really came in good on that, at the beginning of the tournament. But I always bet on myself," she said.
"Oh, no. I knew my destiny was to be in the winner's circle. There were times along the way where I didn't make it there. But I felt my destiny was definitely to win big titles, win lots of titles," she added.
Venus Williams went on to win two more Wimbledon titles during her career, triumphing at SW19 in 2007 and 2008 to bring her Grand Slam tally to seven singles Majors.
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