Venus Williams has stepped in to defend sister Serena who is under tabloid fire for what looks to be some weight gain in the run-up to the Australian Open.
The Australian press has been quite clamorous on an apparently overweight Serena, the defending champion who looks to be carrying well above her "official" WTA weight of 61 kg.
Before and after pictures of the former world number one, who played a Tour match in Beijing more than three months ago, showed a growing difference between Serena now, and in 2005.
The 24-year-old handed photographers more explosive material by training one day in a body-clinging outfit at Melbourne Park.
Venus, always tall and rangy compared to her sibling, jumped to her sister's defence: "Serena is OK. I usually don't like to speak for Serena but I can say she is in good spirits."
"I think she would have liked to have no injuries and be healthy but obviously this isn't an option. She is an amazing competitor more than anything and even if she is not 100 per cent, she will bank on her ability to compete and use her determination."
Both sisters pulled from a Hong Kong exhibition last week claiming physical problems.
{{/usCountry}}Both sisters pulled from a Hong Kong exhibition last week claiming physical problems.
{{/usCountry}}Venus said the sister ace just never gets around to talking about tennis or weight.
"It (Serena's fitness) is not something we really talk about. We talk about gossip and guys and all those kinds of things," she told Melbourne's Herald Sun.
The pair has been pictured taking a run along the city's Yarra river, surprising passers-by.