Tennis rivalries are something not new to the world. However, what often gets overlooked are tennis friendships. Friendships, that might be rivalry on the court but are strong bonds off the court. Similar was the case with fellow countrywomen Venus Williams and Alexandra Stevenson.

Going back in time, fans can recall that the two faced each other just once in their careers. However, not many know that the two were best friends off the court. Being of the same age, the two shared a strong bond outside the tennis court. The proof of which was visible when Venus came out in support of Stevenson during an unpleasant exchange with former World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport.

Venus Williams comes out in support of Alexandra Stevenson

Today, tennis enjoys a sense of equality amongst all its players. However, that wasn’t the case years ago. Walking down memory lane, the 1998 US Open had fans celebrating the victory of Lindsay Davenport. However, the celebrating fans soon had a sense of despair following an exclusive report by ESPN.

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While the year 1998 had Davenport at her peak, the same year also marked the formative period of Stevenson. As per the report by ESPN, Stevenson had listed the name for a massage session during the US Open. However, learning about the list, Davenport took no time to scrap Stevenson’s name and replace it with her own. Furthermore, it was also reported that Davenport kicked Alexandra’s bag, saying, “Get this [bleeping] junior out of here.” 

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As mentioned earlier, Venus Williams and Alexandra Stevenson were best friends off the court. Learning about the incident, Venus went up to Stevenson, admitting, “Just let me know; I’ll beat her (Lindsay Davenport) up for you.”

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While Venus and Stevenson stood on the same platform in terms of friendship, the two failed to reciprocate the same in their careers. As is known by many, Venus went on to rise to become the greatest player of all time. On the other hand, Alexandra Stevenson rose to World No. 18 in the rankings. However, she failed to win any tour titles during her career.