By Michelle E. Colon-Nieves
Venus Williams and Monica Puig — Two references of world tennis will make history on Puerto Rican soil this weekend.
Venus Williams, winner of seven Grand Slams, and Monica Puig, the only athlete from Puerto Rico to win Olympic gold, will demonstrate their tennis skills in an exhibition match for the history books.
Venus, the older of the Williams sisters, has achieved records that are difficult to match, the Puerto Rican Monica Puig is already in the annals of Puerto Rican sports as the first to win an Olympic Gold medal.
Puig retired due to injury and returns to the courts after her retirement in June 2022. She will play in an exhibition match against the eldest of the Williams sisters. Venus who at 43 years old is the oldest active tennis player on the circuit and has just expanded her record of Slam tournaments play, with 91.
Serena, despite being the youngest, won 23 Slam titles. Today, Serena, a retired housewife and mother of two children, while Venus has 27 years as a professional set another record at the recently held US Open, playing her Grand Slam #91.
Monica at press conference (Photo courtesy Eric Ariel)
Monica, for her part, nicknamed Pica Power for her explosiveness, made history in the 2016 Rio, Brazil Olympics, and without being considered as a viable medal winner surprised all her critics to win the gold medal for Puerto Rico. She achieved “the miracle of history “, breaking all predictions in Tennis, defeating Grand Slam champions such as Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova and Garbine Muguruza.
Recurring injuries to Monica’s extremities led her to permanently retire from the courts, beginning in the summer of 2021, the same year she would defend her Olympic title, which she was unable to defend.
Today, Puerto Rico is proud with the presence of these two super legends, one already in retired at 43 years old and the other, only 29 years old.
The table is set, let’s receive and serve ourselves…
