"I'm not desperate" - Venus Williams responds to pressure to start a family

Being one of the greatest female athletes to compete in any sport, Venus Williams has also achieved a lot off the court including holding two degrees and launching several companies. However, the 41-year old states that she still faces a lot of pressure from friends to settle down, get married and have children.

"I have a lot of friends who don’t believe me when I say that I like my life and I don’t want to change it for any reason. I’m not desperate and they don’t believe me," Williams told Cosmopolitan for the magazine's October cover. "They say things like, 'You’re going to miss your window.' I’m like, 'Please, relax. You might feel this way, but I don’t. I promise you I don’t.'"

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Having been in the tennis spotlight with her sister Serena Williams since they were teenagers, Venus stated that she has faced challenges throughout her career when it comes to paving her own path.

"I didn’t see myself as different," Venus says of her debut in the public arena. "I saw myself as a great player."

The two-time US Open champion reflected on her almost three decade tennis journey, adding that she has gained more confidence and self-belief which aids her in sticking to her convictions.

"As you grow up and mature, you realize you don’t have to be in any situation you find disrespectful. You can let people know what you find disrespectful," said Williams. "It doesn’t have to be yelling or screaming. I’m not a combative person. I’m never going to let any situation change that, because I want to look back and know that I stayed true to who I am. So come. Come for me if you want to, but you won’t come again."