Serena Williams & Venus Williams Confess if They Hated Each Other During Grand Slams: “Hated It”

The WTA legends who gave so much to the sport for nearly two decades are now bringing their behind-the-scenes magic to the fore! Venus and Serena Williams have launched their latest project together, a podcast called Stockton Street. They plan to open up about their life in tennis, with special guests along the way. For now, they’ve dropped their first episode, and it’s already teasing a spicy tidbit.

On Wednesday, the debut episode titled ‘Mask Off’ went live. In it, the sisters looked back on their tennis careers. One standout moment came when they addressed a long-time misconception. People thought they planned to live life in the public eye when, in truth, all they wanted was to compete at Arthur Ashe.

What started as a lighthearted conversation soon shifted into an honest reflection about facing each other on tour. Serena Williams admitted those early-round clashes weren’t easy to stomach. “I remember one year, you beat me—maybe 2000, in the fourth round, I think,” she recalled with a laugh. “And then we started meeting so early, I really just hated it. I hated every part of it.” Her words carried the weight of a champion who hated losing but hated even more that it was against her own sister.

Venus Williams, calm as ever, gave her perspective. For the two of them, every tournament draw carried its own drama. “When the draw came out, our hope was always that we wouldn’t be in the same section,” she said. “Most players are like, ‘oh, I hope I don’t play the No. 1 seed,’ but for us it was, ‘hopefully my sister’s in a different bracket.’ That way, we could work our way through the field and at least meet in the final. But even when we did, it was never easy.” It was a candid glimpse into the bittersweet life of being both sisters and rivals.

It’s funny to hear them reflect on those tough early matchups, especially when you step back and see the bigger picture. For almost three decades, from Serena’s debut in 1995 until her retirement in 2022, the Williams sisters were the heartbeat of women’s tennis. Still, Serena admitted that playing against Venus always came with a different edge. Against other opponents, she said, she usually felt like the favorite—the one expected to win. But against her sister, all certainty disappeared. “When I was playing you, it was like, I don’t know if I can win,” she said. If Venus was serving big and moving well, Serena explained, her only strategy was to outlast her and wait for mistakes.

But their story was never only about individual brilliance. When they teamed up, their dominance became almost untouchable. Together, they won 22 doubles titles, including 14 Grand Slams and three Olympic gold medals. Few siblings in any sport can claim such a haul. On the doubles court, the Williams sisters were in a class of their own. But against each other, things were never quite as smooth. So how did Serena really handle losing to Venus?

Her confession was telling—and hilarious. Serena said, “I hated losing against anybody. It didn’t matter if it was you, or anyone. I hated it.” She even brought up the time Venus beat her in the 2008 Wimbledon final, winning in straight sets (7–5, 6–4). That was Venus’s fifth and final Wimbledon title. For Serena, it was a painful memory made worse because they still had to play doubles together that same year.

Serena’s memory left both sisters in stitches. She said, “We had to play doubles after that and I remember I was sitting, sulking! Downstairs. Thinking, ‘I don’t care, I’m losing doubles.’ It was like, ‘I’ll hit every ball into the net,’ and I didn’t speak to you.” Venus, unsurprisingly, didn’t remember any of it. With a laugh, she blamed her lack of emotional intelligence, admitting she never even noticed her sister was ignoring her!

Thankfully, Serena didn’t give in to her sulking. They went on to win the doubles title that year, their third Wimbledon crown as a team. Serena looked back relieved, laughing that “it was nice to get a trophy too that year. I’m glad I didn’t throw the match away.” Venus couldn’t resist pointing out that doing so “would have been illegal!” She reminded everyone that throwing a match, while not outright criminal, crosses serious lines: Unfair competition, betting risks, and corruption issues.

This was just the beginning of what the sisters dished out in their first episode. It ran 36 minutes of pure memory lane, laughs, and honesty. And while they’ve often addressed the misconceptions people had about them, this first episode of Stockton Street feels like the most personal yet. And they’re excited to bring more!

Venus and Serena Williams reveal the idea behind ‘Stockton Street’

The Williams sisters’ new podcast, Stockton Street, is named after their childhood home in Compton. With episodes dropping every other Wednesday, it promises fans a mix of banter, memories, and truths. And it’s a moment for the sisters to come together and speak about their time on court.

“As close as we are, we had to keep so many things distant because of our jobs,” Serena Williams told The Hollywood Reporter. “As much as she’s my sister, she’s also my opponent, and you can’t be as open as you want to be. So this a real opportunity to do something that we’ve been trying to do, and also just a discovery thing as well.” For Serena, it’s a chance to finally break down walls that tennis once made necessary.

Venus, who made her tour comeback this summer after 16 months away, is equally eager to share their unfiltered story. “We don’t necessarily coddle each other,” she said. “We weren’t coddled in life. And we want to give that sort of tough love, not only to each other, but that we had to give to ourselves. Life is very real. So the message has to be real. What we want to share is all the things we’ve done and gone through that everyone goes through, whether it’s winning or losing on and off the court.” Expect nothing sugarcoated, just the raw highs and lows from two women who’ve lived it all.

And while they turn the page to this new chapter, their legacies still loom large. Serena played her final match at Arthur Ashe in 2022, but Venus is still grinding. She returned in July, hit Cincinnati in August, and reached the US Open doubles quarterfinals with Leylah Fernandez. Now, with more time together, the sisters are turning that legacy into great stories for us to enjoy!