Five-time Wimbledon champion looks unrecognisable as fans stunned by new look

Tennis icon Venus Williams has shocked fans with her new look during a recent TV appearance. The five-time Wimbledon champion has been a household name for decades, but she surprised many as she arrived as a guest on the Jennifer Hudson Show.

Venus first shot to fame by reaching the 1997 US Open final as a teenager and claimed her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon three years later. The 45-year-old has won seven major singles titles during her storied career and likely would have claimed many more if she had not competed in the same era as her younger sister Serena. The former world No.1 has been an icon for decades and continues to compete, but Venus caught many fans off guard as she sported a different look from her usual tennis attire.

In the build-up to her appearance on the Jennifer Hudson Show, Venus took part in the famed Spirit Tunnel Walk, which has produced many viral moments. She walked down the makeshift runway in an oversized red suit with silver high heels and her hair styled with bangs.

One shocked viewer asked: "I had no idea that was her. Am I the only one?" A second account commented: "Haven't seen her in such a long time, I had to read the caption, Venus looks good."

A third fan said: "I didn't know who it was until reading the name wow." A fourth added: "She looks totally different. I didn't realise it was her." A fifth praised Venus' new look: "Sis idk that was u but looking good." While another viewer simply wrote: "I didn't recognise her."

Venus has seen her career disrupted by injuries in recent years. After 16 months away from the sport, she returned to the US Open in August and explained the various emotions she felt during her first-round loss to Karolina Muchova.

"Honestly, frightening. Yes, it was so stressful," she said during her appearance on the . "I know that I can play but it's [another] thing to get out there and execute, execute quickly with not a lot of time to get it right.

"And also going into it, my body had let me down so many times, I was also in a lot of ways kind of recovering from trauma. When I got out there, I didn't really believe in my body and it makes you believe less in yourself.

"I had a lot of learnings, actually, this summer. It was thrilling, exhilarating, frightening, but I loved every minute of it. I learned so much. It was just one of the best times of my life."