Venus Williams tries her hand at padel, stops short of posting video that could "embarrass" herself

Venus Williams has added her name to the ever-increasing number of sporting icons who are trying their hand at the emerging sport of padel.

Williams posted an image of herself on a padel court, much to the delight of tennis fans who have witnessed the likes of Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal take to the fast-paced racquet game in the past.

The 42-year-old joked about stopping short of posting a video of herself playing padel as she did want to "embarrass" herself that much.

"I would show you a video but I don't want to embarrass myself that much," she wrote.

Venus Williams' Instagram story

The seven-time singles Grand Slam champion also disclosed that she was keen for a repeat after having attempted the sport for the first time.

One fan was quick to point out that anyone who tried the sport once couldn't stop.

"Once you try it, you can't stop," the tweet read.

A combination of tennis and squash, padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. A glass-backed court with sidewalls and a fence allows players to engage in long rallies.

Earlier this month, Venus Williams admitted to playing padel during a question-answer session with fans on social media.

THe 42-year-old was last seen in action during the ASB Classic in Auckland in January where got off to a winning start against Katie Volynets of the USA before going down to Zhu Lin of China in the second round.

After an injury-induced hiatus for close to a year, the American took part in the 2022 Citi Open before playing in the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open, and the US Open last year.

Rick Macci predicts Venus Williams will retire after 2023 US Open

Venus Williams alongside her father with Rick Macci looking on

Renowned tennis coach Rick Macci, who worked with Venus Williams during her formative years, has predicted that the veteran could retire following the US Open this year.

During the course of an interview with Tennis-Infinity, the 68-year-old also opined that both Venus and Serena Williams still had it in them to win tournaments.

"I think she will retire at the US Open. I think she will play doubles with Serena and they're going to exit the stage left at the US Open. But, obviously, if she still plays, I think they could still win tournaments," Macci stated.

While Serena Williams went ahead with her decision to "evolve away" from tennis after the 2022 US Open following a comeback on grass at Queen's Club and Wimbledon last year, sister Venus has yet to make any announcement regarding her future in the sport.