Yesterday, the 2017 french open took its first steps towards another edition. In the women's singles contest, the upper half of the draw includes Venus Williams who is making the 20th appearance on this particular event. Over the past two decades, she missed the tournament only once back in 2011 -- a year with no good memories for Venus who had to deal with significant medical issues. Making her first appearance at Roland Garros back in 1997, she is a monument of longevity on the WTA professional tour. But, a recurrent participation doesn't necessarily translate into success.
She reached the final only once and that was 15 years ago. She went on losing the final to her younger sister Serena.
Venus started the tournament in style
The main draw of the 2017 French Open put Venus in the second quarter of the upper half. In the opening round, she got past Qiang Wang (52 WTA) in straight sets 6-4 7-6(3). In the next round, she will face Nara Kurumi (90 WTA) of Japan. Williams was designated a harsh road towards the second week of the event. In order to survive in that quarter, she must prepare to deal with some fierce opposition. This area includes players like Jelena Jankovic, Dominika Cibulkova, Daria Gavrilova, Kristina Mladenovic or the defending champion Garbine Muguruza.
All these have a great record when it comes to this surface. If she gets past the second round, Venus could have the first big test on the Parisian clay as Jelena Jankovic could emerge. Despite struggling with form, she remains a dangerous opponent having a great record in Paris. She was a semifinalist on three different occasions (2007, 2008 and 2010).
Last time Venus reached the quarterfinals in Paris occurred back in 2006. Since then, her yield at Roland Garros has been around the average value.
Over the past year, Venus has been on a rise
When it comes to a long-term projection, it always tricky to deliver an accurate one on Venus Williams. Given her condition, her body is a constant riddle.
Back in 2011, she was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause extreme fatigue. In was a hard test for the American Tennis star, an exam she got past eventually. Moreover, over the last 12 months, she had some thrilling results. Back in 2016, she reached the semis at Wimbledon while this season she went all the way to the final in Melbourne at the Australian Open. Considering that she is almost 37-year-old, the way she keeps handling things is mesmerizing.
