Elder sister Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion has disclosed that a 17-year-old Serena gave her a piece of advice she will never forget in her life.
Both Venus and Serena Williams advanced through to the semis from opposite halves of the draw at the US Open in 1999. While 19-year-old Venus lost to former World No. 1 Martina Hingis, Serena became the first black woman to win a Grand Slam after defeating the Swiss Miss in the final.
Recalling their first Major meeting on the WTA tour, Venus said: “I definitely had one of my biggest failures down the street at the US Open in 1999. Serena and I were both in the semi-finals in the US Open. We were kids … and I asked her, ‘So, Serena, are you nervous about tomorrow? And she’s like, ‘No, I’m not nervous because we have to show up. And since we have to show up, why not compete?’ And that was the best advice I ever got in my life.”
Venus added: “Sadly, I didn’t listen to it at the time. That was one of my first biggest failures, and it was my biggest lesson, and my whole career changed after that … You have to show up so why not compete? It’s definitely the best advice, and it just never gets old.”
Despite the high level of competition, she believes Serena is her most vocal defender. “We love each other, and we’re extremely protective of each other,” Williams said, adding that she felt the same during Serena’s recent wedding with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. “That night I ran over to protect her too. I was like a mad dog. It just goes like that. We just love each other. We have the best time together.”
