Venus Williams – Vegan Tennis Wonderwoman

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Venus Williams is a world-renowned tennis player, famous for becoming the first Black American woman to reach #1 in the world rankings. Her resume includes seven Grand Slam singles titles and fourteen women’s doubles major titles, and she and her sister never lost a Grand Slam doubles final together. While many people witnessed Venus’s reign on the tennis court over the past two decades, some may not know that she has been plant-based since 2011.

If you want another plant-powered weightlifter to know about, read our profile of Kendrick Farris.

An Incurable Disease

Venus adopted a plant-based diet after being diagnosed in 2011 with Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can affect moisture-producing glands and various organs, causing dryness, fatigue, and pain. There are no known cures for the disease, but symptoms can be managed through treatments and lifestyle changes, including a plant-based diet (which helps reduce inflammation).

To be able to control as much as I can, what’s happening in my body, my inflammation levels, through what I eat – is a godsend.

Venus Williams, speaking on the switch to a plant-based diet

The diet change had a major effect on her symptoms without requiring a cabinet full of medications. As she explained to Insider, “Living with an autoimmune disease, things can get a little tricky and you can be on loads of medicine, and that’s not something that I want to do.” Going plant-based helped her manage the condition well enough to keep playing professional tennis. It also improved her skin, which lines up with studies showing that eating more fruit and vegetables improves complexion.

One honest footnote: Venus has admitted she isn’t perfect at it. In a 2024 radio interview she joked that she’s a “chegan” who occasionally strays from the strict vegan line. So “plant-based since 2011” is the fair description, with occasional real-world exceptions she cops to herself.

From Raw Vegan to “Junk Food Foodie”

Venus started out on a raw vegan diet, meaning foods that are raw or heated below about 104-118°F (40-48°C). Raw vegan can be hard to sustain as an athlete because it’s tough to get enough calories, especially after heavy training. Venus found that out the same way: she told Insider that way of eating was “hard to maintain for long periods of time” and that sometimes, after a workout, you just need something more substantial: rice, potatoes, real food. So she added cooked foods back in.

While she went plant-based for her health, she still enjoys the occasional treat. “I’m definitely not a robot. You can reward yourself and have fun eating as well,” she says. Some of her favorites include donuts, pie, and French fries.

Helping Others Go Vegan

Venus launched Happy Viking, a superfood nutrition brand, in 2020

Venus’s plant-based switch worked so well that other athletes started asking her for advice on cutting out meat without losing performance. One of them is her sister and doubles partner, Serena. Serena hasn’t gone fully vegan, but she eats mostly plant-based in solidarity with Venus. Speaking to Bon Appetit, she says, “I’ve been eating a lot healthier for my sister.”

Venus wanted to make plant-based nutrition accessible, so she launched a vegan nutrition brand called Happy Viking in 2020. Speaking about the company’s mission, she says, “Since adopting a plant-based diet and exploring superfood nutrition, I’ve seen the benefits for my body, my mind, and my performance firsthand. I want to give other people that opportunity to be healthy, to feel good, to be able to live out their dreams.” Currently, the brand has two main products: meal replacement shakes and protein shakes.

Beyond that, she wrote the foreword for Unbelievably Vegan, the cookbook by Chef Charity Morgan, and runs a fashion and personal goods brand called EleVen. She also invested in PlantX, a plant-based grocery company aiming to be “the vegan Amazon.”

Where Is Venus Today?

Venus’s ranking has dipped with age, but she’s still one of the greatest tennis players ever, and she isn’t done. After a 16-month layoff, she made a winning return at the 2025 Citi Open in Washington at age 45, winning her doubles opener with Hailey Baptiste and beating world No. 35 Peyton Stearns in singles. That made her the oldest woman to win a WTA match since Martina Navratilova in 2004.

Off the court she keeps advocating for veganism, mental health, and gender equality. Whether you’re a tennis fan or not, it’s easy to respect what she’s done on and off the court.

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