Venus Williams recently enjoyed a successful return to competition in Washington, where she became the oldest woman to win a match since 2004 before going out in the second round. The seven-time Major winner is a tennis icon and knows she has “nothing left to prove”, but she still loves the sport and will be ramping up her comeback in Cincinnati later this month.

Williams has had as much impact off the court as she has on it. The 45-year-old was a trailblazer when it came to getting equal pay at the Grand Slam tournaments. She spent years holding meetings with tournament bosses to fight for equality, and one meeting at Wimbledon proved crucial.

One day before competing in the 2005 Wimbledon final, which she went on to win, Williams found herself in a room with members of the Grand Slam Board, continuing her fight for equal prize money.

And she had a mic-drop moment, as she forced everyone present to close their eyes and reflect before walking out. Two years later, she got her wish, and the men’s and women’s singles champions at Wimbledon were offered the same winners’ cheque.

“At that point I went into this room and I asked everyone to close their eyes. I said, ‘Now that your eyes are closed, you don’t know if that person next to you is a man or a woman, but everyone’s heart beats the same way. Would you want your daughter or your sister or your mother or your wife or a loved one that was a woman to be paid less?’” she recalled.

“Then I left. I bounced. I had to go. I didn’t stay for the whole meeting. Lots of people think that was impactful. It was just the truth. A lot of the times, you can’t beat the truth.

“When you stand up for what’s right — that’s what my mum was all about. I learned that from her. I think that’s why I spoke out — because my mum said, ‘There’s something wrong, you stand up for it’.”

Williams’ battle didn’t end there. A year later, she penned a powerful letter in The Times renewing her calls. At the time, there was a £30,000 difference in prize money for men’s and women’s singles champions.

She wrote: “I’m disappointed not for myself but for all of my fellow women players who have struggled so hard to get here and who, just like the men, give their all on the courts of SW19.

“I’m disappointed for the great legends of the game, such as Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, who have never stopped fighting for equality. And disappointed that the home of tennis is sending a message to women across the world that we are inferior.”

Her efforts paid off, and a year later, Wimbledon offered equal prize money. Fittingly, it was Williams who lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish in 2007, earning the exact same cash prize as male champion Roger Federer, £700k.

And when Williams returned to competition in Washington last week, she urged the next generation of players to continue her work.

“I always felt a big responsibility towards promoting tennis and also promoting women’s sports. I think that this generation can’t forget that, that women, we still have lots to fight for and an example to set. It’s so important,” the former No. 1 said.

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