Venus Williams. Hell of a career. Seven major tennis championships. Five Wimbledon championships.

Former world No. 1. Playing professionally since age 14, in 1994.

And Wimbledon finalist today at the age of 37, with a chance to become the oldest women’s singles champion at the All England Club.

She had an opportunity to pull a switch and polish her resume while throwing a little bit of shade on sister Serena’s; it was the younger sister who set the “oldest champ” record just last year.

But as she had happened so many other times, Venus fell just short when compared to Serena — who almost single-handedly has kept the older sister from one of the greatest careers in the women’s game, as outlined at the link.

Venus was in the final in part because her sister was back in the U.S. in the latter stages of her first pregnancy.

Perhaps they would have been placed in opposite brackets, but if they had met before the final the smart money says Serena would have won.

She has so many times before.

So, a big chance for Venus, against 23-year-old Garbine Muguruza, to win Wimbledon for a sixth time and to win a major for the first time since 2008 … but she fell a bit short.

It finished 7-5, 6-0 to Muguruza, but it could have gone the other way had Venus taken advantage of her chances in the first set.

She had two set (and break) points in the 10th game, and the first was decided on a 19-shot rally that ended when Venus put the ball in the net. The Spaniard woman then won the next three points to extend the set.

In the 11th game, with Venus serving, it went to deuce, but Muguruza broke her, then won the 12th game to win the set and, effectively, the match.

At 37, in hot and humid conditions, it was hard to imagine Venus coming back to win in three sets over a 23-year-old opponent, and she went very, very quietly in the second set.

Muguruza became only the second woman not named Serena (the other is Martina Hingis, 20 years ago) to defeat Venus in a grand slam final.

So.

It might have been handy, for Venus, if her sister had taken some maternity time during Wimbledon, oh, nine years ago, when Venus was 28 and the defending champion.

But …

What if Serena had taken up golf? Or the javelin?

What sort of monstrous career might Venus have had?

It becomes a bigger “what if?” as we go along.