Sporting Sisters

Venus and Serena Williams are two of the most famous tennis players of all time. They are known for their powerful style of play. They are also known for their colorful outfits.

Venus was born in 1980. Serena was born one year later. Their father taught them to play tennis when they were five years old.  He dreamed that they would be great players. And they were!

Venus and Serena became professional tennis players when they were only fourteen. They played in major tournaments called grand slams. Serena won her first grand slam in 1999. It was called the U.S. Open. She was the first Black woman to win a grand slam since the 1950s.

In 2000, Venus won a grand slam. It was called Wimbledon. She and Serena played together at Wimbledon, too. They won the doubles tournament.

Both sisters continued to win many tournaments. They won the French Open and the Australian Open. They also won Olympic medals.

In 2002, Serena was the number one tennis player in the world. She won all the grand slams in one year. People called it a “Serena Slam.”

Serena retired in 2022. By the time she retired, Serena had won 23 grand slam tournaments. That is the most any player has ever won.

Venus and Serena are amazing tennis players. They speak up for Black woman athletes. They inspire girls to play tennis and compete in sports. Thank you Venus and Serena!