Venus Williams broke down in tears during a Wimbledon press conference on Monday when she was asked about her involvement in a fatal car crash. (Watch video below)

Williams is being sued by the estate of an elderly Florida man who died last month after his vehicle was hit by a car driven by the American star.

The 37-year-old is accused of running a red light, inattentive driving and negligent operation of a vehicle, leaving Jerome Barson with a fractured spine and numerous internal injuries before his death several weeks later.

After her 7-6 (7), 6-4 victory over Elise Mertens in the Wimbledon first round, world No11 Williams was repeatedly asked about the incident by the media and eventually became so emotional she began to cry.

“There are really no words to describe, like, how devastating and – yeah. I’m completely speechless. It’s just…” Williams said.

The five-time Wimbledon champion held her head for several moments and asked to leave the room before returning, still visibly shaken, to finish the interview session several minutes later.

* Provided by AFP