William sisters biography wikipedia

Venus Williams was just 17 years old when she played in the first tennis match against the woman who would soon become her greatest on-the-court rival: her sister, Serena Williams , who was only 16 when the two met at the Australian Open.

Venus and serena williams age

Venus won that match in straight sets, then won the rematch that followed later that year at the Italian Open. From that point on, the sisters took the tennis world by storm, revolutionizing the game and taking home an unprecedented number of championships and trophies. The Williams sisters have dominated the tennis world for decades. Richard never had any interest in tennis until one day, sitting at home in Long Beach, California, he caught a broadcast of the prestigious French Open.

Locals recall Venus and Serena holding tennis rackets in their strollers as their parents played in the early s, learning the game so they could pass it on to their daughters. Richard had been a football player in Shreveport, so he had athleticism and discipline that made him a quick study. Venus got her first real lessons when she was just 4 years old.

Serena tagged along and was soon begging to play, too. The young sisters hardly ever left the courts, grinding through practice sessions that started as early as 6 a. They sometimes had to return volleys just to earn a rest for the evening. They returned to California a few years later and wound up in Compton, a working-class neighborhood that was plagued with drugs and violence throughout the s.

Gangs tended to control the local parks and tennis courts , which were generally rundown and dilapidated. After a while, though, Richard willed himself to victory over those who would stop him from turning his girls into champion athletes. What mattered was the courts were ours. Not only did Richard win, some gang members even began to serve as unofficial security guards during the long, grueling father-daughter practice sessions.