Venus Williams, tennis star and this year's Wimbledon champ, is at the top of her game. Recently, she sat down with the folks at Shape Magazine to share her thoughts on fitness, including her inspirations and motivations.

Some highlights:

• On her sister: "Without her, I couldn't have achieved anything. She's helped me believe in myself"

• On what was going through her head at Wimbledon: "It was a ridiculously difficult match and I was behind until the last three minutes. I kept saying that line over and over in my head: 'If I take the opportunities on the court, more will come.' I was also thinking, 'I want to be like Serena; I want to win like Serena.' And I did."

• Practice makes perfect: "You have to practice to develop your talents-and learn to enjoy putting the effort in"