+Venus and Serena Venus Serena Highest singles ranking: No. 1 (February 25, 2002) No. 1 (July 8, 2002) Highest doubles ranking: No. 1 (June 7, 2010) No. 1 (June 7, 2010) Women's singles titles: 49 73 Women's doubles titles: 22 23 Grand Slam Women's singles titles: Grand Slam Women's doubles titles: 14(Aus Open 2001/03/09/10, French Open 1999/2010, Wimbledon 2000/02/08/09/12/16, US Open 1999/2009) 14(Aus Open 2001/03/09/10, French Open 1999/2010, Wimbledon 2000/02/08/09/12/16, US Open 1999/2009) Grand Slam mixed doubles titles: 2(Aus Open 1998, French Open 1998) 2(Wimbledon 1998, US Open 1998)Summer OlympicsSingles titles: Gold (Sydney 2000) Gold (London 2012)Summer OlympicsDoubles titles: Gold (Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, London 2012) Gold (Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, London 2012) Fed Cuptitles: 1(1999) 1(1999) Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) Right-handed (two-handed backhand) Career Earnings: $42,280,540 (2nd) $94,518,971 (1st)
The Williams sisters are two American professional tennis players: Venus Williams (born 1980), a seven-time major singles champion, and Serena Williams (born 1981), a 23-time major singles champion, both of whom were coached from an early age by their parents Richard Williams and Oracene Price.
Tennis has not been open to female participation in the past.SMITH, EARL, and ANGELA J. HATTERY. “VENUS AND SERENA WILLIAMS: Traversing the Barriers of the Country Club World.” A Locker Room of Her Own: Celebrity, Sexuality, and Female Athletes, edited by David C. Ogden and Joel Nathan Rosen, University Press of Mississippi, 2013, pp. 72–91. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt24hvp6.9. Accessed 28 Sept. 2023. When the sport was introduced as a form of leisurely activity in the United States, “many clubs would not allow women to be members”. The Williams sisters' careers and status as successful African American athletes within a historically White sport, in spite of openly racist backlash they encountered during their careers, has been credited with opening up the sport of tennis to a more multicultural audience.
Outside the tennis, both sisters have developed successful ventures that promote empowerment and diversity. Venus launched her EleVen fashion brand,K.C., C. “Serena Williams.” *Ebony*, vol. 64, no. 9, July/Aug. 2009, p. 73. Johnson Publishing Company. while Serena founded Serena Ventures, an investment firm that supports women led business and entrepreneurs of color. Their work off the court reflects their influence as leaders and role models for young athletes around the world.
Both sisters have been ranked by the Women's Tennis Association at the world No. 1 position in both singles and doubles. In 2002, after the French Open, Venus and Serena Williams were ranked world No. 1 and No. 2 on singles, respectively, marking the first time in history that sisters occupied the top two positions. On 21 June 2010, Serena and Venus again held the No. 1 and No. 2 rankings spots in singles, respectively, some eight years after first accomplishing this feat. At the time, Serena was three months shy of her 29th birthday and Venus had just celebrated her 30th birthday.
There was a noted professional rivalry between the sisters in singles — between the 2001 US Open and the 2017 Australian Open, they contested nine major finals. They became the first two players, female or male, to contest four consecutive major singles finals, from the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open; Serena famously won all four to complete the first of two "Serena Slams" (non-calendar year Grand Slams). Between 2000 and 2016, they collectively won 12 Wimbledon singles titles (Venus five, and Serena seven). Nonetheless, they remain very close, often watching each other's matches in support, even after one of them had been knocked out of a tournament.
By winning the 2001 Australian Open doubles title, they became the fifth pair of women to complete the career Grand Slam in doubles, and the first pair to complete the career Golden Slam in doubles. At the time, Venus and Serena were only 20 and 19 years old, respectively. Since then, they went on to add another two Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. Moreover, the duo achieved a non-calendar year Grand Slam in doubles between 2009 Wimbledon and 2010 Roland Garros, which made them the co-No. 1 doubles players on 7 June 2010. Their last major doubles title came at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships.
Both players won four gold medals at the Olympics, one each in singles and three in doubles—all won together—the most of any tennis players. Venus also won a silver in mixed doubles at the 2016 Rio Olympics. As a duo, they completed the double career Golden Slam in doubles. Between the two of them, they have completed the Boxed Set, winning all four major events in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles; they split the four mixed doubles titles in 1998.
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Winner — LegendGrand Slam tournaments (14–0)Olympic Gold (3)WTA Tour Championships (0–0)Premier Mandatory & Premier 5 (2–0)Premier (2–1)International (1–0)Finals by SurfaceHard (10–1)Grass (7–0)Clay (3–0)Carpet (2–0) ResultNo.DateTournamentsSurfaceOpponentsScoreWin1.February 23, 1998Oklahoma City, United States (1)Hard Cătălina Cristea Kristine Kunce7–5, 6–2Win2.October 12, 1998Zürich, Switzerland (1)Carpet Mariaan de Swardt Elena Tatarkova5–7, 6–1, 6–3Win3.February 15, 1999Hanover, Germany (1)Carpet Alexandra Fusai Nathalie Tauziat5–7, 6–2, 6–2Win4.May 24, 1999French Open, Paris, France (1)Clay Martina Hingis Anna Kournikova6–3, 6–7(2–7), 8–6Loss1.August 8, 1999San Diego, U.S. (1)Hard Lindsay Davenport Corina Morariu4–6, 1–6Win5.August 30, 1999US Open, New York City, U.S. (1)Hard Chanda Rubin Sandrine Testud4–6, 6–1, 6–4Win6.June 26, 2000Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom (1)Grass Julie Halard-Decugis Ai Sugiyama6–3, 6–2Win7.September 18, 2000Summer Olympics, Sydney, Australia (1)Hard Kristie Boogert Miriam Oremans6–1, 6–1Win8.January 15, 2001Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia (1)Hard Lindsay Davenport Corina Morariu6–2, 4–6, 6–4Win9.June 24, 2002Wimbledon, London, U.K. (2)Grass Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez6–2, 7–5Win10.January 13, 2003Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia (2)Hard Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez4–6, 6–4, 6–3Win11.July 5, 2008Wimbledon, London, U.K. (3)Grass Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur6–2, 6–2Win12.August 17, 2008Summer Olympics, Beijing, China (2)Hard Anabel Medina Garrigues Virginia Ruano Pascual6–2, 6–0Win13.January 30, 2009Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia (3)Hard Ai Sugiyama Daniela Hantuchová6–3, 6–3Win14.July 4, 2009Wimbledon, London, U.K. (4)Grass Samantha Stosur Rennae Stubbs7–6(7–4), 6–4Win15.August 2, 2009Stanford, U.S. (1)Hard Chan Yung-jan Monica Niculescu6–4, 6–1Win16.September 14, 2009US Open, New York City, U.S. (2)Hard Cara Black Liezel Huber6–2, 6–2Win17.January 29, 2010Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia (4)Hard Cara Black Liezel Huber6–4, 6–3Win18.May 15, 2010Madrid, Spain (1)Clay Gisela Dulko Flavia Pennetta6–2, 7–5Win19.June 3, 2010French Open, Paris, France (2)Clay Květa Peschke Katarina Srebotnik6–2, 6–3Win20.July 7, 2012Wimbledon, London, U.K. (5)Grass Andrea Hlaváčková Lucie Hradecká7–5, 6–4Win21.August 5, 2012Summer Olympics, London, U.K. (3)Grass Andrea Hlaváčková Lucie Hradecká6–4, 6–4Win22.July 9, 2016Wimbledon, London, U.K. (6)Grass Tímea Babos Yaroslava Shvedova6–3, 6–4
Team competition finals: 1 (1 titles) OutcomeNo.DateChampionshipSurfacePartnersOpponentScoreWinner1.September 18–19, 1999Fed Cup, Stanford, USHard Lindsay Davenport Monica Seles Elena Makarova Elena Likhovtseva Elena Dementieva4–1
Performance timelines
Women's doubles
Tournament 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022 Career W–L Grand Slam tournaments Australian Open A3RSF AW AW AbsentQFWW AbsentQF Absent 36–4 French Open AbsentW Absent3RW Absent3R A3R Absent 17–3 Wimbledon A1R AW3RW3R Absent2RWWQF AW A2R AW Absent 45–5 US Open1R AWSF3R AbsentW Absent3RSFQF Absent1R 25–7Win–loss 0–1 2–1 16–1 10–0 10–1 6–0 8–1 0–0 0–0 0–0 1–0 9–1 20–1 14–1 0–0 8–1 7–2 4–2 0–0 8–1 0–0 2–1 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–1 125–15 Olympic GamesSummer Olympics Not HeldG Not Held A Not HeldG Not HeldG Not Held1R Not Held A Not Held 15–1 Year-end championshipsWTA Finals Did not qualify A Did not qualifySF A Did not qualify 0–1 Neither withdrawals nor walkovers are included in wins and losses.
Note: Serena Williams did not play at the 2004 Olympics because of injury. Venus partnered with American Chanda Rubin and lost in the first round to eventual gold-medalists Sun Tiantian and Li Ting.
Boycott of the Indian Wells Open During the 2001 Indian Wells Open tournament in Indian Wells, California, Venus Williams withdrew four minutes prior to her semifinal match with her sister Serena.
The following day, Serena played Kim Clijsters in the final. As Richard Williams and Venus made their way to their seats, the crowd booed, and some spectators yelled verbal jabs. Serena was booed often during the match, which she won 4–6, 6–4, 6–2, and the booing continued into the presentation ceremony.
Richard accused the crowds at Indian Wells of overt racism, saying, "The white people at Indian Wells, what they've been wanting to say all along to us finally came out: 'Nigger, stay away from here, we don't want you here'". When Venus was asked about her father's statements, she said, "I heard what he heard.""Off-court distractions" CNN/SportsIllustrated. March 27, 2001. Oracene Price (mother and coach of Venus and Serena) accused the crowd of "taking off their hoods"."A fortnight of firsts at the French"
Effects and criticism After the initial controversy, neither Williams sister played the tournament in Indian Wells for 14 years. Between 2009 and 2019, the Women's Tennis Association classified the Indian Wells tournament as a Premier Mandatory event for all eligible players. Exceptions were made when players engage in tournament promotions, but Venus and Serena both declined to promote the tournament; WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott agreed he would not, promotionally, "put them in a position that is going to be awkward", and tournament director Charlie Pasarell has stated he would accept the WTA tour's ruling.
Allegations had been made before Venus's withdrawal that Richard Williams decided who won the matches between his daughters. Those allegations continued and increased as a result of her withdrawal.
Richard has said that racial epithets were used against him and Venus as they sat in the stands during the final.Edmondson, p. 91
Serena discusses what happened in her view at Indian Wells in detail in an entire chapter titled "The Fiery Darts of Indian Wells" in her 2009 autobiography, On the Line. She says that on the morning of the semifinal, Venus told the tour trainer that she had injured her knee and didn't think she could play and tried for hours to get approval from the trainer to withdraw, but the tournament officials kept stalling.