Venus Williams sends message to Serena Williams, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka as she looks back on 1st appearance with braids

Venus Williams recently reminisced about the classic braids she sported during her WTA Tour debut at the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California 30 years ago. The 44-year-old wrote a heartfelt message to celebrate the occasion on her social media handle, and tagged her fellow POC peers Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka in the message.

Williams is a trailblazer in not only women's tennis but all of women's sports. Having turned pro in 1994, the seven-time Major winner achieved some exemplary feats in singles, picking up 49 pro titles and spending 11 weeks as the World No. 1 in the WTA rankings. Venus also raked in more than $42 million in prize money winnings.

With her place in tennis history solidified, Venus Williams is still active despite being well into her 40s. In a story shared on Thursday, October 31, the American talked about the impact she had as she fondly looked back on her braided hairstyle during her pro debut while also expressing gratitude for what the moment signified.

"This day 30 years ago I brought braids, beads and the beginning of a game never seen before in tennis, it was the vision of my dad," Venus Williams wrote on her Instagram stories. "This day changed my life, and I had no idea at 14 yrs old it would change so many others."

Williams also spared a word for the female POC players who succeeded her, namely her younger sister Serena Williams, 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff, and four-time Major titlist Naomi Osaka. Insisting that she was proud of them for being "unapologetic and authentic", Venus wrote:

"So proud of those who came next. Never compromise, be unapologetically and authentically you and be proud of you you are and where you come from, you never know, you just might change the game," she added.

Via Venus Williams' Instagram stories

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Venus Williams lost to World No. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in her WTA Tour debut from a set and a break up

Serena and Venus Williams at 1998 French Open

Venus Williams' first pro-tour event appearance almost went down as possibly the greatest debut in WTA history, as she had then-reigning French Open and US Open champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario on the rails during the second round of the 1994 Bank of the West Classic.

The American teenager, who had won her first-round match at the event in straight sets, led her World No. 2 opponent 6-2, 3-1 before eventually surrendering the match 6-2, 3-6, 0-6. The match was also documented in the award-winning biopic King Richard in 2021.

The former World No. 1, meanwhile, hasn't competed on the WTA Tour since the Miami Open in March, where she went out to Russia's Diana Shnaider in straight sets.