Venus Williams

A decade playing pro tennis took its toll on Venus Williams' money maker in late March.

The American tennis ace may have earned a spring break vacation when she had to bow out of the Nasdaq Open due to an elbow sprain in her right arm. She has withdrawn from the WTA and ATP Masters Series tournament in which she was the winner of the event in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

Williams, a Palm Beach Gardens, Florida resident, played one match this year, losing the Australian Open to Tsvetana Pironkova. She lost last year's Miami semi-finals to Maria Sharapova.

Her recovery time will have to be expedient, as she is scheduled to reclaim her spot on the courts for the Family Circle Cup April 10-16. She is also expected to participate in World Team Tennis for the Philadelphia Freedoms in July.

Williams recorded the fastest serve in WTA history with 127 mph blast in 1998 and in 2000, was named Sports Woman of the Year by Sports Illustrated. By 2002, Williams was declared the first African American woman to reach the number one ranking on the WTA Tour. A multi-talented African American female, Venus formed her interior design business, V Starr Interiors, in November of 2003.