Venus was born in Lynwood, California, 15 months before Serena. Their father, Richard, was determined to make his daughters tennis champions and coached them from a very young age. Both Venus and Serena quickly developed their physical strength, with Venus serving at speeds of over 160 km/h by the time she turned 10. They won numerous youth tournaments across the USA as they progressed through the age categories.
Venus and Serena Williams: A historic tennis rivalry
Serena started the Williams sisters’ era of Grand Slam domination, claiming the US Open title in 1999. The following year, Venus won the first of her Grand Slam titles, triumphing at Wimbledon and then the US Open, defeating fellow American Lindsay Davenport on both occasions.
The two sisters dominated tennis for over two decades, with Serena leading their head-to-head 19-12 in 31 matches. In 2001, the pair made history as the first sisters to compete in a major tournament final at the US Open with Venus coming out on top.
Venus faced her sister Serena in an incredible series of four consecutive Grand Slam finals, from the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open, losing each time. A series of injuries, plus the auto-immune disease Sjögren syndrome, disrupted Venus' later career. She ended up with five Wimbledon titles, the last coming in the 2008 final against Serena before the pair teamed up for another doubles triumph.
Olympic domination
Venus has enjoyed great success at the Olympic Games, winning her first gold at Sydney 2000 by defeating Russia's Elena Dementieva in straight sets in the women's singles final.
She and Serena wasted little time in the following day's women's doubles final, taking just 49 minutes to dispatch Dutch pair Kristie Boogert and Miriam Oremans 6-1, 6-1. Venus became the first woman to win singles and doubles at the same Games since Helen Wills Moody in 1924.
An injury to Serena forced the sisters to withdraw from the women’s doubles at Athens 2004, but they were unbeatable at the next two Games. At Beijing 2008, they dropped just two games in a demolition of Spain’s Anabel Medina and Virginia Ruano. And on the Wimbledon grass four years later at London 2012, they swept aside Czech duo Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 6-4, with Venus hitting a sumptuous backhand volley to seal gold.
Their proud record of winning every Olympic women’s doubles competition they entered ended at Rio 2016, where they went out in straight sets to another Czech pair, Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova. Venus was beaten in the singles by Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens in three sets.
By reaching the mixed doubles final with Rajeev Ram, she gave herself a chance to become the first tennis player to win five Olympic golds. However, their compatriots Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock edged them out 10-7 in a Champions tiebreak. That silver was historic nonetheless: it made Venus the most decorated tennis Olympian.
