WATCH: When Serena Williams Played Venus Williams For the First Time at Australian Open

Published 01/22/2021, 10:25 AM EST

If there’s one pair that has taken the sport of tennis to another level over the past four decades, it’s definitely of the powerful sisters. Serena Williams and Venus Williams are not just legends but inspirations for every young tennis fan. Interestingly, today marks the beginning of their unique rivalry on the court.

On this day, in 1998, Venus (17) and Serena (16) Williams played their first professional match against each other in the second round of the @AustralianOpen.
Venus won 7–6(4), 6–1. This began a sibling tennis rivalry that now spans four decades. #tennis #legends #servingIUP pic.twitter.com/dzngkwYKu1
— Serving It Up (@Serving_It_Up) January 21, 2021

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Today, 23 years ago, the world saw Serena and Venus competing against each other for the first time in a professional match. It was at the second round of the Australian Open 1998.

Venus Williams emerged as the winner after she defeated her younger sister in straight sets, with the final scoreline reading 7-6, 6-1.

Both the sisters were teenagers at that time. Venus was 17 while Serena was just 16 when this match took place in Australia. The rivalry has been going since then and has spanned over four decades now.

The two have dominated the sport since then. Today, Serena has 23 Grand Slam titles while Venus also has 7 Grand Slams to her name. Playing together, the pair has 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals to date.

When Serena Williams and Venus Williams Lost to a Male Tennis Player at Australian Open

Serena Williams vs. Venus Williams: A rivalry to remember

Although both the sisters are famous for playing together, they have also enjoyed an intense rivalry over the past 23 years.

The two Americans have faced each other a total of 30 times, and Serena maintains the upper hand at the moment. Out of the 30 meetings, Serena won on 18 occasions, while Venus was able to win only 12 times.

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The 2002-03 season was a period when the two sisters completely hegemonized the sport. They played four back-to-back finals at each Grand Slam and surprisingly, Serena won all four of them.

Their last meeting came at the Rome Masters 2019 where Venus was able to conquer Serena.

The sisters will begin their 2021 campaign at the Australian Open 2021. While Venus is 40 and will be looking to give her best, Serena will definitely be eyeing her 24th Grand Slam title in Melbourne. Will Serena be able to win a Grand Slam after 4 years?

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Serena Williams and Venus Williams Start Training in Adelaide Ahead of Australian Open 2021

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Written by:

Anshul Singh is a tennis author at EssentiallySports, currently pursuing Journalism Honors from Delhi University. Having significant experience with content, Anshul has authored over 500 tennis articles. He has previously worked as a writer and an editor for DU Express, penning riveting articles on sports, politics, and culture.

WATCH: When Serena Williams Played Venus Williams For the First Time at Australian Open

Serena Williams vs. Venus Williams: A rivalry to remember

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