Professional tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams are a force to be reckoned with and have both been ranked in the number one position in singles and doubles by the Women’s Tennis Association. The sisters, from Compton, California, made their tennis debut in the mid-1990s and have dominated the game ever since.
Venus and Serena have won 14 Glam Slam titles in doubles together and are usually the favourites in terms of betting odds in both singles and doubles events. Despite being in their early forties now, neither looks set to fully retire from the game any time soon.
How many titles have they won?
Older sister Venus has won over 40 championship titles in her career, this includes two US Open events, five Wimbledon finals, a gold Olympic medal and a WTA Championship. She also has at least 20 titles in doubles events from Wimbledon, the US Open, the Olympics, the Australia Open and the French Open.
Younger sister Serena has won even more championship titles over the last couple of decades. This includes 24 Grand Slam titles and over 70 overall career titles, in competitions including Wimbledon, the WTA Championships, as well as the US, French and Australian Open events.
Serena has also won a series of double titles with her sister and other partners in the game. She is considered to be one of the best and most successful players in the Open Era. Both women are extremely competitive and will not settle for anything less than first place.
How did the women become tennis stars?
Determination and endurance are a huge part of what has helped the women to train and develop their skills from amateur to professional level. It is also thanks to their father Richard, who pushed his daughters into picking up the racket full time after learning about the huge prize sums earnt in events like the French Open.
Their father had been a football player in Shreveport, so his athletic background and determination helped when training Venus and Serena. Venus started tennis lessons at just four years old and Serena joined her soon after, they played both before and after school as they grew up.
Williams didn’t always live in an affluent location and trained on courts in areas with high crime rates and gang violence. Despite these difficulties, they stayed focused on tennis and their development into well-rounded players.
The family eventually moved to Florida so that the pair could train full-time with the help of their new coach Rick Macci. At 14 years old Venus began entering professional tournaments and her younger sister followed shortly after.
What makes them so good at the game?
Both sisters have developed a number of techniques that have helped them to dominate the sport. For example, Serena is famous for her serve. The power behind each serve that Serena makes gives her a clear advantage.
She is also able to surprise her opponent and ensures it isn’t obvious whether she is going to serve forehand or backhand until the ball is already in the air.
Her mental stamina is also a part of what makes her so great. Serena is fiercely competitive and never gives up. She never shows that she is intimidated by her opponent or lets her guard down.
Venus also believes that her mindset is part of what makes her a successful player. She has had to overcome multiple health challenges, including chronic wrist pain from tendonitis and an autoimmune disorder, but continues to stay positive and play to the best of her abilities.
The player is extremely productive on and off the court, she is successfully running multiple business ventures and managing investments alongside her tennis career. Venus and Serena both own minority shares in the Miami Dolphins.
What does the future hold for the Williams sisters?
Despite both reaching the age where most professional tennis stars hang up their rackets, neither sister has officially announced their retirement just yet. They have discussed a number of other career options, including becoming bodybuilders and maintaining their extreme levels of fitness.
Serena has also expressed her desire to spend more time with her growing family. She participated in Wimbledon recently but had to step down due to a leg injury. Venus was also impacted by a leg injury last summer that caused her to withdraw from the US Open competition.
So, while the women may need to be more selective about which tournaments they compete in and mindful of injuries, it is likely that we will see them both competing in professional events in the months and years ahead. They have inspired a new generation of female tennis players to dedicate themselves to the sport and train hard from a young age.