WIMBLEDON, England -- It’s not easy being a professional athlete with an auto-immune disease, but U.S. tennis star Venus Williams is getting by with a little help from her sister, Serena.
On Sunday the Williams sisters returned to the All England Club, where last month they won their fifth Wimbledon doubles title, and secured their third Olympic ladies’ doubles title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic.The sisters’ other Olympic doubles titles came in Sydney in 2000 and Beijing in 2008. They are the first to win the same Olympic tennis event three times. With their four gold medals apiece — Venus won the singles in 2000 and Serena, on Saturday — they equaled the career total of Max Decugis, a Frenchman whose heyday spanned the years from 1900 to 1920.Who else won four golds, Serena Williams asked in the news conference after their match.“Well before our time,” a reporter answered.For Venus Williams, 32, there are days when she feels as though she has more time left in her career than energy to pursue it. After being told last year that she had Sjogren’s disease, she became a raw-vegan and has made wheat-grass shots a part of her daily diet, to try to manage the fatigue and joint pain that have become companions she can’t shake.It was a struggle for her to qualify for her fourth Olympics, her participation in singles predicated on her ranking remaining in the top 56 and being among the four top Americans by a cutoff date in June.“Every time I thought that I was getting close to losing, I would think about the Olympics literally and find a way to win,” Venus said. “It was very close competition to get in here from the U.S. and get my ranking up enough. It was tough.”After squeezing into the Olympic field, she lost in the third round to Angelique Kerber, 7-6(5), 7-6(5). That gave her time to watch her sister steamroll the singles competition and rest for their doubles matches.“Just to arrive here was an amazing dream,” Venus said. “To bring home a gold is just crazy.”Serena, 30, is 17-0 in singles since a dispiriting first-round loss to Virginie Razzano at the French Open, with victories at Wimbledon, Stanford and the Olympics. She has been advised by a French coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, and credits hard work for her success.“You know, lately I’ve just been focused only on tennis, nothing else,” she said. “No distractions, no life. My life is practice in the morning, training in the afternoon. Wake up to practice in the morning, training. Definitely been spending a lot more time on the tennis court.”Venus doesn’t have that luxury.“For me, it’s all about just continuing to get more endurance, try to continue to conquer my disease every day,” she said. “So I have to be very disciplined. I have to remind myself of that, you know, that my life is different now.”For two hours Sunday, she felt as though it were 2000 or 2008 once more.“Whenever we’re at home, times get down, we look at our golds, we’re back up,” Venus Williams said. “It’s something of intense motivation for both of us.”Murray the toast of Great BritainFour weeks ago to the day, Andy Murray reduced this nation to tears after breaking down and crying on Center Court after a heartbreaking defeat to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final. Sunday afternoon, on the same grass court, against the same opponent, under a brilliant blue sky, the Scotsman enchanted the country with an Olympic gold medal.Murray dominated the Swiss seven-time Wimbledon champion 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 as a boisterous audience rooted him on with “C'Mon Andy!” When he served an ace to clinch the gold, the crowd of 15,000 erupted, as did thousands more gathered just outside the stadium on Henman Hill, which on this day was aptly re-named Murray Mound.Impromptu celebrations were reported all over London, from the St. Pancras train station to Olympic Park to Hyde Park, where huge throngs of fans watched on giant screens.Murray's victory came the morning after Great Britain ruled at the track and field venue, with golden girl Jessica Ennis winning gold in the heptathlon, Mo Farah winning the 10,000 and Greg Rutherford taking the long jump gold. The gold rush continued on Centre Court.Murray celebrated by climbing into the stands to hug his family and friends, then pumped his fists a few times, and wrapped his shoulders in the Union flag. He had to conserve some energy because he was playing the mixed doubles final less than an hour later.”It's definitely easier winning in the final (than losing in heartbreak),” Murray told the BBC upon leaving the court. “I played a good match today. It was quite tough conditions, very windy, but I did well. It's No. 1 for me, biggest win of my life. This week's been incredible for me. The atmosphere, the support's been amazing.”Murray silver in mixed doublesAndy Murray will have to settle for one Olympic gold medal.Murray and Laura Robson of Britain lost to Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi of Belarus 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 Sunday in the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
