Venus Williams

Life is challenging but I'm always up for a challenge.

All those lessons that I've learned on the court, I have applied them to my life outside of the court in business, my company, called V Starr interiors, an interior design company, and EleVen, which I wear on court.

Life's a challenge, but that's the best part.

Tennis is mostly mental. Of course, you must have a lot of physical skill, but you can't play tennis well and not be a good thinker. You win or lose the match before you even go out there.

I have been playing tennis for a very long time. Tennis is my life. I see my life in other places, and there are other challenges for me.

In life, there is no such thing as impossible; it's always possible.

Sjogren's is something you live with your whole life. The good news for me is now I know what's happening after spending years not knowing... I feel like I can get better and move on.

I spent my whole life playing sports and training and pushing myself to the limits.

I believe that athletes - especially female athletes in the world's leading sport for women - should serve as role models.

It wasn't like I was self-motivated. My dad started me. It was his dream before it was mine.

You have to do things right to stay in business, and that's not easy, and that's a choice on a daily basis, the choices you make in how to run your business and how to have a point of differentiation and how to be true to your brand, how to offer something that people want and to offer something that you love.

I have a lot of good role models in my family for things off the court - like my older sister, who's a lawyer. I don't like writing papers, but she's helped me a lot. It's nice to have an art and business background because they tie together perfectly.