Williams, Venus and Serena

Athletic Achievements

Within five years of becoming a pro on the tour, Venus began to dominate women's tennis. In 2000, she won the women's gold medal in singles (and doubles with Serena) at the Sydney Olympics and won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Venus Williams was the first African American woman to win Wimbledon since Althea Gibson won in 1978. In 2002, Serena defeated Venus in the French Open, U.S. Open, and Wimbledon. Serena has been ranked number one on five separate occasions. She has won more career prize money than any other female athlete in history.

Venus has won more than 40 career titles in singles including several Grand Slams, has won Wimbledon five times, and has 16 doubles titles (many of these with Serena). Serena has won a total of 24 Grand Slam titles (12 in singles and 10 in doubles; two in mixed doubles). Serena has been ranked by Tennis Magazine as the 17th best player in the past 40 years. She won five of the six Grand Slam tournaments she entered between the years 2002 and 2003. In the 23 professional matches that the sisters have played against one another, Serena has won 13.

The sisters have been recognized several times for their athletic achievements. Venus was named Woman of the Year by Ms. magazine in 2001. They have also been strong advocates for equal pay in sports. Venus wrote an essay on the eve of Wimbledon in 2006 arguing for equal pay for all competitors. This very public protest led the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) to increase the salaries of female competitors, making their prize money equal to males at both Wimbledon and the French Open.