Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Venus Williams is having a very good season, climbing back up to No. 14 in the rankings, but the 35-year-old is also making strides in her business interests.

In addition to her winnings on court and endorsements with a variety of companies, as well as a minority ownership of the Miami Dolphins, Williams also has two businesses — her fashion line, EleVen, and V Starr, an interior design company.

Williams describes the pursuits as important to developing an identity and interests away from the court.

“I have businesses off the court,” Williams told Bloomberg. “Because when you’re a young person and you start playing tennis at four, and thirty years in, it’s who you are. So I wanted to know who I was off the court.”

But they also add to her financial earnings. She re-launched EleVen in 2012, and now sells the clothing online as well as in some stores. The interior design company has six designers and puts its revenue at $7 million. It has designed rooms of the Intercontinental Miami, and is in the process of launching six of its client developments.

Williams has won $1.6 million this season, and more than $31 million in her career.

The seven-time Grand Slam event champion keeps her connection to the businesses low-profile, preferring to make them earn their own success. “Starting a business is a challenge. And it’s important that I have good team members but also it’s important that I understand the industry as well,” she said, adding that her athletic background has been useful. “The training in tennis, and just my personality too. So I’ve learned so much from tennis that I take to the business as well.”

Both companies are privately owned.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.