TORONTO — The questions were coming, the dreaded questions, and Venus Williams knew it.

An early warning was the announcer at the recent Rogers Cup here, who for some reason felt compelled to introduce Williams as “37 years young.” And then a reporter broached the subject more directly, asking, “Do you ever just get tired of people always kind of pointing out your age?”

Williams leaned her chin on her hand and sighed.

“Yeah,” she said. “I mean, that started happening, like, 10 years ago, minimum, or more, since I was 25 or so.”

Williams, always polite, has given versions of this answer before. This time, in her gentle voice, she reminded her inquisitors that age doesn’t matter, and why would it, when she is ranked ninth in the world, and still has so much to offer?

“These things I know, that I’m quite strong and I’m quite capable,” she said. “So that’s all I need.”