Even in the epic battle that took place on Tuesday night’s U.S. Open, it’s still all love between tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams. And even moreso, it created a single mission for their entire family.
The sellout crowd of 23,771 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium appreciated the match for its raw display of power tennis.In a family sport, the Williamses provided a sibling rivalry like no other, and it seemed altogether fitting that they met again this September with so much tennis history on the line.
TAKE A LOOK: The Making of A Tennis Superstar (How It All Started)
Venus, never happy to lose, could walk away with her head held high: On this night Serena was the better player, a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 winner in a battle that was as much physical as it was mental and emotional. The victory delivers Serena into the semifinals of the U.S. Open, just two matches from an awesome Grand Slam.
The difference Tuesday night was the one shot that has helped her rise above the rest: her serve. The 33-year-old world No. 1 blasted 12 aces and won 77% of points played on her first serve.
It has also been the shot that has given Williams the most trouble during this U.S. Open. She has hit 38 aces, but also 22 double faults through five matches.
Both of the sisters had numerous challenges on this road that led them here: From the blatant discrimination by onlookers and competitors commenting on everything from their hair to their clothes–none of which had to do with their awesome wins time and time again.
And we can’t forget about both sisters’ health struggles: Serena had a blood clot in 2011 that put her tennis career on hold for awhile. And older sister Venus was diagnosed with an incurable immune disorder Sjodgren’s Syndrome, the disease that causes joint pain, swelling and stiffness, as well as swollen salivary glands — particularly the set located behind your jaw and in front of your ears, along with skin rashes.
And the personal tragedy they both suffered when their sister was gunned down after a confrontation with youths in the crime-ridden Los Angeles suburb of Compton, where the Williams family grew up.
Despite all that, they still succeeded.
Venus, who said previous to their encounter that she wouldn’t shy away from the role of spoiler, now says…
… she wants nothing but success for little sister — four majors in a single year. Serena, 33, is now just two victories from joining Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court and Steffi Graf as the only women to accomplish such a feat.
“That would be a huge,” said Venus, 35. “Not just for me, but for my family just for what it represents and how hard we have worked and where we come from. So it would be a moment for our family.”
“It’s the greatest story in tennis,” Serena said at the news conference after the match. “Because of where we come from and how we started. It doesn’t get better for us [now]. And the people that we’ve inspired.”
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