“I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus,” Serena Williams once said. That quote hit differently when she walked off the court for the last time at the 2022 US Open. From the crime-ridden streets of Compton to the pinnacle of tennis, the Williams sisters reshaped the sport forever, inspiring generations to come. Their legacy? An astounding 44 Grand Slam titles—30 in singles and 14 in doubles. And let’s not forget the four Olympic gold medals as well. Now, twenty-five years since Serena’s maiden Grand Slam title triumph, Venus is celebrating her sister’s “unmatched” greatness.
It all started in 1979 when Richard Williams saw Romanian tennis star Virginia Ruzici pocket $40,000 in prize money. That was more than his yearly salary. And just like that, he had a vision: his future daughters would dominate the sport. The result? Two of the most iconic athletes the game had ever seen.
Fast forward to 1999, and Serena Williams was already making history. At just 17, she tore through the US Open draw, beating Kimberly Po, Jelena Kostanic, Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martinez, Monica Seles, and Lindsay Davenport. In the final, she took down world No. 1 Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6(4) to claim her first Major. That victory made her the first African-American woman to win a singles Grand Slam in the Open Era. She was also the first African-American singles champion since Arthur Ashe in 1975.
A post by ‘espnW’ recently honored that groundbreaking moment, and it caught Venus’s attention. The 7-time Grand Slam champion reshared it on her Instagram story with just two words: “Completely unmatched.”
Serena herself revisited that career-defining win 25 years later in February 2025. She hopped on the viral ‘It Girl’ trend, posting a throwback photo taken by Clive Brunskill. “You at 17 without cheating!” she captioned the post. That moment was the start of something legendary. Serena went on to win the US Open five more times. And in 2022, she chose the same tournament to bid farewell to her illustrious career as well.
Even after retirement, she reflects on what could have been if it weren’t for her clashing with her sister Venus.
Serena Williams makes a bold statement on her sister Venus’ legacy
Serena Williams made an interesting revelation about Venus Williams’ Grand Slam record in December 2024. She acknowledged that her presence in the sport might have cost her sister more titles. The Williams sisters faced off in nine Major finals, with Serena winning seven. Their former coach, Rick Macci, once pointed out that without Serena, Venus could have had 15 to 20 Grand Slams.
When asked about this at the NY Times DealBook Summit, the 23-time Grand Slam champion didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely! I mean, she would,” she said. “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.” And then, with her signature confidence, she added, “If I didn’t have her, I would have a minimum 30.” The audience laughed, appreciating the sisterly banter. But at the heart of it, Serena’s words were filled with admiration.
Despite surpassing Venus in accolades, Serena never downplayed her sister’s talent and impact on the sport. Back in 2022, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the younger Williams sister revealed why she never enjoyed playing against Venus. “To me, the most frustrating thing about playing against my sister is that it’s like playing against myself,” she said. “I am pretty tough, and she is pretty tough, so she gets every ball back. Every time I get a great serve, she [gets it back]. It would be an ace against anyone else, but she gets it back.”
The Williams sisters may have battled each other countless times, but in the end, they built each other up. Their impact on tennis will never be forgotten. How different would tennis history look if they hadn’t shared the same era?
