Venus Williams, Oldest Woman at Wimbledon, Feels 26

The extraordinarily elegant Venus Williams (photo by Tim Schofield (IMG_2717) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

Venus Williams carries herself differently than most players at the All-England Club. Maybe it’s because — as a 5-time Wimbledon champion — she’s a member. (Wimbledon winners are granted honorary membership at the club.) Williams, seeded No. 8 this year, surged into the third round with a victory over Greek qualifier Maria Sakkari — 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

It was a tough, 2.5 hour match. Williams hasn’t won Wimbledon since 2008 and this is her 19th year competing for the prize. At 36, she’s the oldest woman in the singles draw. But she doesn’t feel old, she says. Despite suffering from an auto-immune disease (Sjogren’s syndrome) that makes her tired, Williams says: “I still feel 26. I don’t think anyone feels older. You have this infinity inside of you that feels like you could go forever. That’s how I feel on the court.”