I couldn’t stop following Venus this U.S. Open. Not because of her monster serve or incredible backhand, though those things are wonderful things to behold. Watching her inspired me. Seven years ago, when she was first diagnosed with Sjorgen’s syndrome, I wondered if her career was over. She even fell outside the top 100 if I recall correctly.

Those days are a distant memory now. She slowly built up her ranking and played in her first grand slam finals in years in 2017. She didn’t win, of course, but I have the distinct feeling she’ll get one more before she retires. Many of us might have been discouraged by years of lackluster results and setbacks, especially when we had once been champions. She wasn’t.

I’ll bet taking that loss to Sloane Stephens was tough last week. And yet even that match is a reminder of her impact on the sport. When she first hit the scene in the 90s, Venus was a barrier breaker—potentially the first black female grand slam champion in decades. Thanks to her efforts, it is no longer an odd sight to see a black woman hoisting a grand slam trophy. A generation looked up to her as a hero. One of them was Stephens.

So I wasn’t disappointed by her run. I was inspired by it. Venus set an example of perseverance and grit for all of us to follow, athletes or not.