Venus Williams has long been a trailblazer, breaking barriers alongside her iconic sister, Serena Williams. Together, the Williams sisters didn’t just play tennis, they revolutionized the sport itself with countless records. While Serena, now retired, channels her energy into entrepreneurship and cherishes time with family, Venus, at 44, is stepping into a bold new chapter. As the 7-time GS winner prepares for a triumphant return in a fresh role at center court in Paris, she’s already stirring headlines. Yet, before the spotlight fully turns, Venus takes a poignant pause to honor her sister with heartfelt messages that speak volumes!

A couple of months ago, rumors swirled about Venus Williams making a competitive return to the Tour as a wildcard at the 2025 Indian Wells Open. However, she swiftly shut down all the speculation, stating, “No, I’m not playing… I’m actually not going, I’m going to be overseas. I’m not going to be here. So I’m watching it on TV.” Even the tournament director Tommy Haas later confirmed that she had not accepted the wildcard offer this year.

But while she won’t be wielding her racket, Venus is making a dynamic comeback, this time with a mic in hand. The tennis icon is stepping into a fresh role as a commentator for the 2025 French Open, joining TNT Sports’ broadcast team. She tweeted, “I’m excited to join @tntsports as a commentator for @rolandgarros, alongside this incredible roster of athletes! Stay tuned for our coverage to start on Sunday, May 25. #RolandGarros 🎾” And as she makes her return to the court in a new role behind the mic, Venus now shared a heartfelt and adorable message for her sister, Serena Williams.

Just a couple of hours ago, Venus Williams took to IG with a nostalgic throwback post that sent fans down memory lane. The photo she shared captured a powerful moment from the early days of their careers, both sisters standing side by side, proudly holding their trophies. Alongside the iconic image, the older one simply wrote, “Love you sis 💖”, a heartfelt tribute to her sister.

But what exactly is the photo from? Well, it turns out, it’s a snapshot from their very first Miami Open showdown, an unforgettable chapter in tennis history. Venus had climbed to the 6th seed and returned to Miami as if she were already a defending champion. This final wasn’t just another match, though; it was a pivotal moment for both the Williams sisters and the WTA Tour.

The two sisters would go up against each other a total of 31 times over the course of their overlapping careers. Serena would win 19 of them, but that 1999 final marked the 1st time the Williams sisters clashed in a final at such a high level. The match was far from polished; a staggering 107 combined unforced errors hinted at the tension and emotional weight on court. The older one took the 1st set decisively, Serena responded in the 2nd, but ultimately, Venus triumphed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Reflecting on it, Venus even added, “The way we’re both playing, it was inevitable we’d meet in a final. And it’s inevitable we’ll meet again.”

And now, as Venus prepares for her French Open commentary debut, she’s feeling reflective. Meanwhile, Serena, while still a beloved icon, appears content off the court, recently opening up about the compromises she had to make as a professional athlete, signaling no plans for a return, at least for now.

“My whole life I’ve had to kind of weigh”: Serena Williams on the cost of being a tennis star

By the time Olympia was nearly 5, Serena Williams had already made remarkable progress beyond the tennis court. The former Olympic champion was deeply involved in the fashion industry, active in financial investments, and held ownership stakes in both the Miami Dolphins and NWSL’s Angel City FC. Just a month before turning 41, Serena shared a powerful essay in the September issue of “Vogue”, released a day before her 2nd-round match in Toronto, a warmup for the 2022 US Open.

“I’ve been reluctant to admit to myself or anyone else that I have to move on from playing tennis. It’s like it’s not real until you say it out loud,” she added. “It comes up, I get an uncomfortable lump in my throat and I start to cry.” Though she hated the idea of retirement, Serena understood it was time to move on from the court. Now, four years later, her life is packed with entrepreneurial ventures, but the balance between personal and professional commitments remains a challenge for her.

During a recent’ Shopify’ pop-up event in LA for her brand, WYN, Serena spoke with PEOPLE. When asked, “You’re a boss. What does it cost you, and has it been worth it?” she replied, “Yeah, it definitely costs a lot. I’m here [in California] without my kids, and that’s a big cost for me because I spend a lot of time with my children, and they’re very attached to me, which a part of me loves. So, it’s always some cost.”

But paying a hefty price for being the champion that the world sees her as is something that Williams has been familiar with since her days on the court. “My whole life I’ve had to kind of weigh, like, ‘If I wanna win a championship, well what is that going to cost me?’ ” Williams said during the same interaction. “It’s going to cost me time with my family, it’s going to cost me friends, it’s going to cost me relationships. And they’re very expensive. You have to decide if it’s worth it for you.” When she bid farewell to tennis, she consciously chose not to define it as a ‘retirement’. Instead, she insisted that she was “evolving away” from the sport to concentrate on other important aspects of her life—hr venture company Serena Ventures, and her family. What’s beautiful is that she is happy with the choices she made, and as enterprising as she has been since her last day on court, she does not plan on launching anything new. “We’re good!” she summed up. And, at the end of the day, that’s what matters.