By Wayne D. Ayers II

Photo Credit: AP Press

Burglars broke into the Florida home of the tennis star Venus Williams, stealing $400,000 worth of items, while she was playing the United States Open this summer, the police said on Thursday.

Ms. Williams’s home, a 10,000-square-foot estate in a gated community in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., was hit at some point between Sept. 1 and Sept. 5, a stretch when she was competing in the tournament in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens. A report by the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, which released it publicly on Thursday, said the total value of the items stolen was $400,000.

Just two days later after burglary on September 7, the 37-year-old tennis legend suffered heartbreak when she lost in three sets to Sloane Stevens in the semi-finals of U.S. Open.

The ladies battled it out for an impressive two hours and seven minutes, but the much younger player was eventually able to overcome the seven times grand slam singles champion. 

On the positive side she raked a substantial $920,000 in prize money, more than double what she lost in the burglary.

Venus has had an impressive tennis season this year. She got back to the finals of the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the WTA Finals.