Tennis elbow impacts most avid players. It is a common injury that occurs when tennis players overuse their forearm muscles or don’t use proper hitting techniques. This injury most recently happened to tennis extraordinaire Venus Williams.
Venus Williams and her sister Serena Williams are no strangers to injury. During a 2023 match against Elina Svitolina, Williams screamed in pain after twisting her already bandaged right knee on a fall. Though she managed to play through her injury after two medical timeouts, she ultimately lost.
Here’s more insight into Venus Williams’ tennis elbow injury and how it eventually brought her closer to her fans.
What is Tennis Elbow?
Also known as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is a common yet painful condition. It occurs when a person injures the tendons in the elbow after repetitive motion or overuse.
You don’t have to play tennis to develop it. Any activity that involves repetitive arm or wrist motions can lead to tennis elbow. It can also affect people who do activities that require repetitive arm movements, like painters, carpenters or cooks. However, it’s most commonly affects tennis players due to the use of tendons that attach to the outer part of the elbow, leading to inflammation and pain.
This pain increases with gripping, lifting or twisting motions, like holding a racquet. Symptoms include tenderness on the outside of the elbow, pain that worsens with certain movements and weakness in the forearm. Tennis elbow typically heals with rest, physical therapy and anti-inflammatory treatments.
When Did Venus Williams Have Tennis Elbow?
Williams suffered from tennis elbow in late 2016, leading her and her sister to withdraw from the Australian Open doubles in January 2017. The decorated athlete was emotionally impacted by the injury diverting her career.
“I’m managing it,” Williams said. “I’m just really disappointed not to be able to play in New Zealand. I was hoping to have the capacity to play both events here, but at this point I just need to be careful and just try to maintain myself. I go and see the physios, and they have been doing a great job.”
She since has recovered, returned back to the sport she loves and uses full arm mobility. This was expected, as about 90 percent of people with untreated tennis elbow experience symptom resolution within one year.
She even shared some tips and tricks on how to avoid the debilitating injury for her fellow tennis-playing fans. Even with perfect form, any avid player is at risk of the injury. Williams has alchemized her experience as a way to share information with her supporters.