Where do professional athletes look for when they need motivation?

Where do they find inspiration? For Venus Williams, it was right down the hallway growing up.

The Williams sisters grew up together in lockstep, competing in everything, including video gamesCredit: INSTAGRAM @VENUSWILLIAMS

Appearing on Virgin Radio UK, Williams was asked how important it is to keep the right company around you.

Citing Tiger Woods as an example of someone who ran out of worthy competitors at his peak, he turned to chasing history and the legacy of Jack Nicklaus and his 18 major victories.

Williams said she never had to worry about not being able to surround herself with greatness.

It was always just sitting at the kitchen table.

“You are who you hang out with,” Williams said.

“I had the honor of having great company in Serena, and I learned so much from her because she was younger – she’s younger by 15 months, but still younger.

“She was the first in the family to win a Grand Slam, even though I was the first to be on tour. So I learned so much from her just by watching without her even saying a word.

“By her courage and her character and her fearlessness and I was like ‘Oh, I want that too, that’s how you win a major’.

“It’s so interesting that just by doing something positive you don’t even have to say a word, you can influence someone else.

The Williams sisters faced each other in four Wimbledon finals, with Serena winning threeCredit: AFP vis Getty

“Just by being around that kind of stuff, if you allow it, if you observe it, if you observe yourself and what you maybe lack or maybe want, and you surround yourself with those kinds of people then you get it.

The elder Williams was lucky enough to surround herself with arguably the greatest female tennis player of all time.

She had the luxury of having a built-in GOAT as her best friend and sister.

“I was so lucky to have that right at home. I don’t think Serena knew at the time [she was helping me] but she was 17 years old, and what do you know at that age?

“But at that age just by her doing something positive, being amazing, she didn’t say a word, her actions spoke loud enough.”

Her actions proved to be loud enough for the entire sporting world and generations to come.

The younger Williams won 23 Grand Slam women’s single titles, the most in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time behind Margaret Court’s 24.

Venus, now 44 and yet to retire, won seven Grand Slam singles titles of her own and teamed up with her sister for 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.

1999 French Open Doubles Champions Venus and Serena Williams with their trophies at Roland Garros, Paris, France. (Photo by Art SEITZ/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

The Williams sisters were able to push each other to greatness from a very early age, something of course that Woods was never able to experience.

He had to chase down his own competitors, before ultimately chasing ghosts.

For Venus, the inspiration was always right alongside her.