After more than two decades on the professional tennis circuit, Venus Williams is on an upswing and shows little sign of slowing down, turning in one of her strongest seasons in years.
The American veteran took the crown at the Wuhan Open Saturday - her biggest win since 2010 and her 47th career title - when Garbine Muguruza retired in the second set.
"I know I had my chances. But I knew with Venus, it's hard. With her serve, with her shots, if you're not 100 percent," said the 21-year-old Spaniard after the match.
The 35-year-old star, who has long dominated women's tennis with her younger sister Serena, looked on form at Wuhan and retirement seems to be far from her mind.
She is travelling to Beijing next for the China Open and might yet qualify for the year-ending WTA Finals in Singapore, which she hadn't made since 2009.
"I absolutely do want to play and I'll do everything I can to be ready to play. I want to be as close to 100 percent as possible. So that's my goal," Williams said of the Beijing tournament after her win in Wuhan.
And she's sure to be back next year, with her sights already firmly set on the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
