What Venus Williams Really Eats

It's no wonder she wins.

21 March, 2018
What Venus Williams Really Eats

Tennis powerhouse Venus Williams, 36, has been at the top of her game for what feels like forever. Watch one match, and it's clear she's got her serves, backhands, and forehands down pat. But what about her diet?

To answer that question, Venus wrote down everything she ate leading up to her first match of the U.S. Open. (Spoiler alert: She killed it at her match.) Here's how she fueled her first win of the tournament:

DAY 1

7 a.m.: Early in the morning, it's super tough for me to eat right away, but I still need energy for practice. I try to start out with a protein smoothie, a green juice, or some sort of fruit.

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Today, I ate some nectarines because they're in season, and so sweet and juicy. I packed grapes to bring to practice in case I got low on energy.

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12 p.m.: After 90 minutes on the court, plus some cardio and exercises at the gym, I was really, really hungry! I stopped by Christopher's Kitchen, ​my favorite vegan spot in Palm Beach, Florida, and ordered the lentils with quinoa and a strawberry milkshake with protein powder to go.

1 p.m.: I got to the office where I work on my interior design company, V Starr Interiors, and my active wear line, EleVen by Venus. At EleVen, we met about the upcoming production calendar. I also checked out the warehouse to make sure everything was in order for the new fall line, Casablanca. At V Starr, we talked about the design of the new boutique hotel we'd just started to work on.

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In between meetings, I snacked on kale chips and drank a green juice. After working so hard on the court, I find that snacks help me avoid late-afternoon energy lows.

4 p.m.: I swung by my dad's house. He's on a low-sodium diet, so I made him a kale salad with chicken breast, fresh ginger, garlic, pepper, and orange and lemon juice. My dad loves to eat, and he loves everything I make!

6 p.m.: Dance class! Today it was hip-hop at Sean's Dance Factory. I hadn't been to class in awhile, and it looked like all the 12-year-olds from beginner's hip-hop had already progressed to intermediate. At 6-foot-1, I was the tallest person in class by far. I refueled on breaks with dates, cashews, and water. Afterward, I was worn out and went home to pack for the U.S. Open in New York, then got on my flight.

DAY 2

7 a.m.: It's another early morning! For breakfast, I had an egg-white omelet with tomato and cheese. I usually sweat first thing in the morning, but today, I had to get ready for promotional events for the U.S. Open, so I got my hair and makeup done first thing.

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12:30 p.m.: I went straight to practice (where I immediately ruined my hair and makeup). Afterward, I went to The Little Beet for lunch with my team and ordered sweet potatoes, green beans, and cabbage and soba noodles.

While I was waiting for my food, I practiced some of my dance moves. People probably thought I was a little bit off my rocker, but I'm determined to get better than those 12-year-olds!

5:30 p.m.: Serena and I played each other in virtual tennis at a U.S. Open event. Then, we teamed up again at the Taste of Tennis Charity event. They had all the best chefs there, but I didn't get a chance to try any of the dishes before I left.

9 p.m.: Back at the hotel, I ate a quiet dinner. When I travel, I always keep some food in the hotel to stir up if I need to: I made a salad of mixed greens, Newman's Own Caesar dressing, and a diced tomato. I followed it up with plain yogurt and local honey from New York.

DAY 3

9:30 a.m.: Today was the last day before my matches. I fed my dog Harry, who got to come to New York with me.

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Then I fueled up with fresh granola and Silk almond milk. [Editor's note: Venus recently partnered with Silk.] Going into my last training session before my U.S. Open matches, I wanted to have as much energy as I could.

1 p.m.: Lunch is usually my biggest meal of the day, and today was no different. I had brown rice and beans with grilled shrimp. I always crave sweets, so I had a fresh pineapple, orange, and strawberry juice to satisfy my cravings.

6 p.m.: I spent most of the afternoon doing physical therapy and resting.

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Then I stopped by to see Serena, who was staying in a hotel room a few doors down from mine. We hung out and gossiped. Since she'd already ordered dinner, I figured I might as well benefit, and shared her fennel and crab salad and gluten-free porcini penne pasta.

8 p.m.: Like most people, I love to snack at night. I had Nature's Addict apple, passion fruit, and mango fruit snacks.

DAY 4

10 a.m.: I slept in before my match, then got up to go running with my Harry.

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I was so excited to take on my first match since the Olympics and couldn't wait to wear my new EleVen collection on the court.

I always eat a huge breakfast on match days even though my stomach hates it. Today, I warmed up some fried rice in my room.

12:45 p.m.: After warming up on the court for 30 minutes, I ate a lunch of sweet potatoes and rice, and pre-mixed the energy drinks I bring to the court for energy and hydration. I use a combo of organic coconut water and organic pineapple juice.

7 p.m.: After a grueling two-hour-and-43-minute-match, I walked off the court with the win. Afterward, I rode a stationary bike for 10 minutes and stretched for 30 minutes to cool down and help my body recover. I also refueled and rehydrated with water with electrolyte powder, then ate some more sweet potatoes, rice, and barbecue tofu.

9:30 p.m.: I often finish my days with a Caesar salad — this time, it just had some mixed greens, tomatoes, and Caesar dressing. Then I spent an hour on the table doing physical therapy to undo all the damage done during the match. The first rounds of a tournament are always tricky because playing tennis takes a lot out of you. ​But I can't wait for the next round!

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Credit: Cosmopolitan
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