The Serena Williams vs Venus Williams rivalry is arguably the most important rivalry in tennis. It was an unprecedented sight to see two elite players of such calibre emerge from the same family and constantly battle it out at the top.
It rang in an era of American supremacy in women’s tennis. Serena won 23 singles Grand Slam titles while elder sister Venus won seven. Both achieved the World No.1 rank during their careers, also winning the Olympic gold medal in singles. Pairing up for doubles, they bagged 14 women’s doubles Grand Slams and three Olympic golds.
With such a storied history, their rivalry with each other was understandably exciting as well. They faced off 31 times, with Serena leading 19-12. They met in a whopping nine Grand Slam finals, the younger sister again leading 7-2.
1998: First match of the Serena Williams vs Venus Williams rivalry
Venus and Serena turned pro in 1994 and 1995, respectively, but the latter did not start playing regularly until 1997. A year later, they crossed paths on the court for the first time. Venus won their second-round clash in the 1998 Australian Open.
The Williams sisters again met in the quarter-finals of the 1998 Italian Open. A similar result meant Venus led 2-0 in the first year of their rivalry.
1999-2001: Venus Williams continues to dominate
The third Serena Williams vs Venus Williams clash was the first time the two sisters faced off in a tournament final. Venus lifted the 1999 Miami Open title by defeating her younger sister in three sets. Serena got her revenge in the 1999 Grand Slam Cup. She won the final of the now-defunct event to bag her first W of this rivalry.
Venus went back to winning ways by defeating Serena in the semi-final of the 2000 Wimbledon. After the infamous walkover at the 2001 Indian Wells, she returned to down her younger sister in the 2001 US Open final. Having won the first of their nine Grand Slam final clashes, Venus led 5-1.
2002-2005: Serena pulls level in the Serena Williams vs Venus Williams rivalry
The sibling rivalry picked up pace as they squared off eight times during these four years. Serena found her footing and evolved into a much complete player. She won six of these eight matches to level the head-to-head 7-7 by the end of 2005.
She won the 2002 Miami Open semi-finals before embarking on a historic streak. The next five Serena Williams vs Venus Williams ties were all Grand Slam finals, each one going the former’s way. Serena won the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open in 2002 and the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2003.
The sisters did not play each other in 2004 before Venus won both their clashes in 2005 to restore some parity and pride.
2008 and 2009: The busiest years of the duel
A bit of injury troubles, combined with increasing competition, meant the world did not witness the legendary rivalry in 2006 and 2007. However, fans got their fill in 2008 and 2009 as the American icons clashed nine times.
Serena and Venus refreshed their rivalry in the semi-finals of the 2008 Bangalore Open, the first Serena Williams vs Venus Williams match that was below the 1000 or Grand Slam level. They met three more times that year, including the Wimbledon final that Venus won. Overall, they bagged two wins each.
2009 saw the sisters face off five times, once again including the Wimbledon final. This time, however, Serena got her hands on the trophy. She also won their WTA Finals final that year. With six wins in these nine fixtures, Serena led 13-10 when 2009 ended.
2013-2017: Sparse meetings as Serena extends lead
Once again, a combination of injuries and form issues meant the Williams sisters did not face off for a few years. The Serena Williams vs Venus Williams rivalry was re-awakened when they met in the semi-finals of the 2013 Charleston Open, which the former won.
The duo crossed paths five times in these five years, twice in 2015 and never in 2016. The 2017 Australian Open final was the biggest tie in this rivalry in this phase. Serena emerged on top in what proved to be the last Grand Slam final match-up between the two sisters. With this victory, she widened the head-to-head gap to 17-11.
2018-2020: Final years of the Serena Williams vs Venus Williams rivalry
In this final three-year stretch, the American pair faced off thrice, not counting one instance of Serena giving a walkover at the 2019 Italian Open. They met twice in 2018, winning once each. Their 2018 US Open third-round fixture, which the younger sister won, was the last Grand Slam match in the rivalry.
The last Serena Williams vs Venus Williams match happened in the Round of 16 of the 2020 Top Seed Open, their only 250-level tie ever. Serena won this fixture to cap off the rivalry with a win and a lead of 19-12.
She retired only at the 2022 US Open but never crossed paths with Venus after 2020. The older sister, meanwhile, continues to be an active player even at 43.
