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Venus and Serena: Sisters, Rivals, Icons, and a Lasting Legacy

By Brandon Daniels

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 31: Serena Williams of The United States is congratulated by her sister and opponant Venus Williams of The United States following their ladies singles third round match on Day Five of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 31: Serena Williams of The United States is congratulated by her sister and opponant Venus Williams of The United States following their ladies singles third round match on Day Five of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Serena Williams of the US (R) poses with the championship trophy after her victory in the women’s singles final match against her sister Venus Williams of the US on day 13 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 28, 2017. / AFP / SAEED KHAN / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE (Photo credit should read SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Serena Williams of the US (R) poses with the championship trophy after her victory in the women’s singles final match against her sister Venus Williams of the US on day 13 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 28, 2017. / AFP / SAEED KHAN / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE (Photo credit should read SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images) /

Serena’s solo dominance continues as the rivalry dies

Venus had begun downfall from her prime years of 2000-2009. Se suffered various injuries and was diagnosed with Sjögren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that caused major fatigue and illness. By the end of 2011, she was ranked 102nd, which marked the first she was ranked outside of the top 50 since 1997.

Serena had opened the decade with two more major titles but, like her sister, suffered injuries that forced her to miss the majority of the 2011 season. Despite this, she was able to collect eight more major titles from 2012 to the present. Venus, on the other hand, had only been able to reach one more Grand Slam final (2017 Australian Open), but it proved to be a major point in the sister rivalry.

2017 was a year of many things in tennis. On the men’s side, it saw the return of its two greatest players, Rafel Nadal and Roger Federer. Both had been suffering from injury and kept them away from winning major championships for the entire 2016 season. Many questioned their abilities to get back to the top of their game, but they did just that in 2017; the two men split the four major championships and faced each other in the Australian Open Final (which Federer won).

The Australian Open also saw the comeback of tennis’s greatest singles pairing: Venus and Serena Williams. The two faced off in the finals for the first time at a Grand Slam since 2009. It was a relatively comfortable win for Serena, however, it wasn’t the final score that was most important. It was the resurgence of two sisters battling on their sport’s biggest stage. Against all odds, they had both returned to the mountaintop one last time to battle it out.

Rivalry Update (as of year-end 2019):

Serena leads Venus 18-12

Serena – 23 GS titles (8 wins over Venus)

Venus – 7 GS titles (2 wins over Serena)

"“[Venus is] the only reason I’m standing here today. She’s the only reason the Williams sisters exist. Thank you for inspiring me. Every time you won this week, I felt like I got a win too.”"

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