The unmatched legacy of Serena Williams, a titan in the realm of tennis, was recently celebrated by her sister, Venus Williams, with a succinct, yet powerful two-word reaction: “Completely unmatched.” The Williams sisters, originating from the tough streets of Compton, have forever transformed the sport of tennis, boasting an incredible collective record of 48 Grand Slam titles.
This extraordinary journey started in 1979 when their father, Richard Williams, was inspired by Romanian tennis player Virginia Ruzici’s earnings, which happened to exceed his annual salary. This ignited a vision of his future daughters ruling the tennis world – a vision that ultimately became a reality. Serena and Venus Williams emerged as two of the most iconic athletes tennis has ever witnessed.
Flashback to 1999, a young Serena Williams, just 17 years old, made history at the US Open. She triumphed over Kimberly Po, Jelena Kostanic, Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martinez, Monica Seles, and Lindsay Davenport. In the final round, she defeated Martina Hingis, the world No. 1 at the time, to secure her first Major title. This victory positioned her as the first African-American woman to win a singles Grand Slam in the Open Era, following Arthur Ashe who clinched the title in 1975.
A recent post by ‘espnW’ paid tribute to this monumental event, capturing the attention of Venus Williams, a 7-time Grand Slam champion. She shared this nostalgic moment on her Instagram story, endorsing her sister’s unparalleled greatness.
In February 2025, Serena revisited this pivotal victory that marked the genesis of her legendary career. She participated in the popular ‘It Girl’ trend, sharing a throwback photo taken by Clive Brunskill with the caption, “You at 17 without cheating!” This marked the beginning of a journey that saw Serena claim the US Open title five more times. She chose the same tournament to announce her retirement in 2022.
Despite her retirement, Serena often ponders what might have been had she not been competing against her sister Venus. In December 2024, Serena made a surprising admission about Venus’s Grand Slam record, candidly acknowledging that her own presence in the sport may have cost Venus some titles. The Williams sisters have faced each other in nine Major finals, with Serena winning seven. Their former coach, Rick Macci, once speculated that without Serena, Venus could have secured 15 to 20 Grand Slams.
When asked about this during the NY Times DealBook Summit, Serena responded, “Absolutely! I mean, she would,” adding, “That’s about the time we played each other in the finals—not to mention semifinals and quarterfinals. We had this rule: if we played against each other before the finals, we had to go and win the tournament. But yeah, I think Venus would have definitely had at least minimum 15, maybe more.” In a display of her trademark confidence, Serena then said, “If I didn’t have her, I would have minimum 30.” This jest was met with laughter, but the underlying admiration for her sister was palpable.
Despite surpassing Venus in accolades, Serena has always recognized her sister’s instrumental role in her own success and the impact they both made on the sport. During an appearance on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ in 2022, Serena explained why she found playing against Venus challenging, describing it as “playing against myself.”
Despite their on-court battles, the Williams sisters have always supported one another. The indelible mark they’ve made on the sport is undeniable. One can’t help but wonder how different tennis history would have been had they not shared the same era.