Ask Venus Williams what she is most proud of across her extraordinary career and the answer might surprise.
It’s not the seven grand slam singles titles, or the 16 major finals in total.
It’s not the 49 career tournament wins, her collection of Olympic medals (four gold, one silver) or her time as world No 1.
And it’s not the fact that she is about to start another year on the WTA tour, more than three decades after her professional debut.
For the 45-year-old, her pride is anchored in the family name.
“I’m definitely most proud of being a Williams sister,” said the ASB Classic wildcard, on the eve of her seventh appearance here.
“It was a very exclusive club. To be a Williams sister was like cream of the crop - no one else got to go out there and play with their sister, especially in the way that Serena and I got to – wow.
“So looking back on that is incredible, and I don’t know if it’s still fully hit yet.”
The siblings changed the sport, with their power and athleticism, as well as their off- court advocacy.
While Serena stopped playing four years ago, older sister Venus is still going. Her legacy is assured – as one of the greatest players of all time – but she is still out there, writing another chapter.
“One of my goals is to be joyful,” says Williams. “And just embrace being uncomfortable, because that’s the thing champions can do. Like when the uncomfortable moments come, those are the moments where they thrive.”
There will certainly be discomfort, especially taking on players more than half her age, in such a physical sport.
Williams simply loves tennis and has somehow managed to stay competitive, despite the march of time. Her latest comeback is remarkable, given the various injury and health issues in recent years.
She has only played a total of 20 matches since the beginning of the 2022 season and was off the tour completely between March 2024 and July 2025.
Williams showed her mettle when returning from the wilderness in Washington last year, beating world No 35 Peyton Stearns in straight sets, as an unranked wildcard.
A month later at the United States Open she pushed world No 11 Karolina Muchova, before losing in three sets in a two-hour battle.
“I’m always adding things to my game, which is not easy to do over the years, but I feel like tennis is changing, the balls change, the courts change, and the strings change,” says Williams.
“So with that, if you want to stay relevant, you have to change with it. [And] even in all the years when I wasn’t playing, I was always in the gym, as if I had a match the next day.
“So that helps me whenever I do come back to play. I come back fit, strong and without missing the beat.”
Williams is also playing without expectation, to a degree.
She has nothing to prove and is in a good head space, illustrated in a breezy media session on Sunday, where she was typically charismatic and carefree.
She is enjoying visiting Auckland with her family, including new husband Andrea Preti – after years of coming here “alone” - and has had some time for reminiscing, visiting favourite shops and places around the isthmus.
Williams seems relaxed but don’t be mistaken.
She is here on business, as the competitive nature that garnered so much success, including titles across 16 seasons and more than US$42 million ($72.8m) in prizemoney, still burns.
“Nobody likes losing,” says Williams.
“I definitely don’t wake up and come halfway across the world to not feel the fire. And it’s a lot of work even before you get here.
“There’s a lot of things you have to forego to be on the court and to be prepared to be ready. But now it’s time to play, which is the exciting part.”
Her work ethic has been evident since she arrived last Thursday, as she has been the first player on site every day for 8am practice sessions, while she is famous for her 6.30am gym workouts back home in Florida.
Such discipline has helped her defy sporting logic and avoid a curtain call that many expected years ago.
After the ASB Classic she will play the WTA event in Hobart before another Melbourne appearance, where she is set to become the oldest female participant in Australian Open history. What about beyond that?
“I have an idea of where I’d like to go next, but I haven’t made any solid plans, because I don’t have to and I don’t need to,” explains Williams. “But I’ll show up, God willing, stay healthy and those kinds of things.”
Whatever happens, Williams’ longevity is incredible and difficult to fully process.
She made her professional debut in 1994 – before the age of email or the internet and when Bill Clinton was in the White House.
“I was a kid, it was good,” laughs Williams. “I was in school, I had braces. Yeah, take me back.”
Williams reached her first major final three years later – at age 17 in the 1997 US Open – and was a double grand slam champion by 2000.
She started her career duelling with the likes of Martina Hingis and Justine Henin and faced every notable female player since that era.
“It’s beautiful because I got to play through a lot of amazing generations,” says Williams.
“I got to be a part of an amazing change in women’s tennis and growth. And this next generation too will usher in something else, right? But while I’m still here, I’ll keep serving as big as I can.”
Williams will make her first bow in Auckland in doubles, after a last-minute wildcard was granted – in a scratch pairing with singles top seed Elena Svitolina on Monday.
It will be an ideal tune up before her first-round singles encounter with sixth seeded Magda Linnette on Tuesday afternoon.
That clash won’t be easy, as the Polish world No 55 is known for her retrieval ability, court coverage and defensive skills and is coming off a full 2025 season.
“It’s interesting because I have so much experience but I’ve probably played the least amount [of recent matches] as any other player in this draw,” said Williams.
“So it’s an interesting position to be in. I know I can play well but I also have to come out of the gates playing quickly.
“The good news is that tennis matches are long and you have a chance to figure things out.”
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.