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23 Years After Creating History With ‘Baby Sis’ Serena Williams, Venus Revisits the Monumental Day in American Tennis

Published 09/28/2023, 4:45 AM EDT

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Tennis is incomplete without Serena Williams and Venus Williams. Two Afro-American girls from Compton, whom their father and coach, Richard Williams, trusted to be future World No.1s, entered tennis like a tranquil tempest. The then reigning champions, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, and Monica Seles, had to take a backseat as Venus and Serena forged their own rivalry in tennis, sharing significant victories amongst themselves.

But when the duty to the country called, the professional rivals became torch-bearing American athletes. Venus recalled a career-defining victory achieved with her little sister that is worth more than a Grand Slam.

Venus Williams revisits a remarkable milestone earned with her little sister

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Queen Vee won two consequent Slams at the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open in 2000. She defeated Davenport both times in the finals. The Williams sisters also clinched the doubles title at Wimbledon in the same year. But their biggest triumph came at the end of the year on this exact date.

The 2000 Sydney Olympics witnessed two of the greatest tennis icons winning a Gold for America. The 7-time Grand Slam champion won a gold medal in singles. She defeated Seles in the semi-final and Elena Dementieva in the deciding match. The Sydney Gold was the 43-year-old’s first Olympic medal, and the icing on the cake is Serena became a part of her subsequent big victory.

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Twenty-four hours after winning the Gold, Venus paired with Serena to win another Gold in the doubles category on September 28, 2000. Reminiscing about the larger-than-life achievement, Queen Vee posted an image of herself with the 23-time Slam champion on Instagram from the Olympic win. She captioned, “On this day in 2000, Sydney @Olympics gold medal with my baby sis @serenawilliams So special. And then in singles 🌟#memories.”

The Sydney medal paved for Venus the way to script history at the Olympics. Both the first and last Olympic medals of Venus are part of Olympic scriptures. Little did the Williams sisters know that their doubles gold would one day be a tribute to the woman who started it all. Venus even snubbed her singles Gold for Serena as the elder sister revealed what mattered the most to her.

Queen Vee vividly clarified her love for Serena Williams in a historic moment

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The Williams sisters defeated Kristie Boogert and Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands in straight sets: 6-1, 6-1 in just 49 minutes. After their win, Venus said, “For me, this is almost bigger than singles. To have a victory like this with Serena, my sister and best friend, doesn’t happen very often.” The Queen is right. The Williams sisters are the first siblings to win an Olympic medal.

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Three years later, on the same day, the first Afro-American woman to win a Grand Slam, Althea Gibson, breathed her last. Gibson was the primary inspiration for women of color in tennis before the Williams sisters carried the legacy. Venus is the Afro-American to win the most Olympic Golds in tennis.

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Queen Vee is also the only tennis player to have five Olympic medals in her name. This is also the overall individual Olympic medals record, which Venus shares with two other athletes. Serena is only next to her sister, with four Olympic medals. Together, the Williams sisters inspired many aspiring players like Coco Gauff. They became the reason for more inclusivity in tennis and elite brands through their endorsements.

WATCH THIS STORY: ‘Opened A Big…’ Venus And Serena Williams’ Everlasting Impact On Tennis And Beyond Unveiled By Iconic Coach In A Stirring Statement

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Written by:

Krishna Priya

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Vadlamani Krishna Priya is a tennis writer at Essentially Sports. Pursuing her passion for storytelling, she has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Helped by her cousin who introduced her to the rules and regulations of the game during her childhood, Roger Federer matches became Priya's gateway to the world of tennis.
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Edited by:

Vishav