The Williams sisters were archetypes of the kind of deep kinship ties that are central to the Black American experience. Nevertheless, the display of familial Black love from Venus and Serena beaming on the evening news was crystal clear. Tennis was not an entirely foreign sport to me-a certain strata of Black elites played tennis regularly, and I played in public school for PE credits-but competitive tennis was as otherworldly as golf. “For Serena and I to explore that freedom is surreal.” “From such a young age, all we’ve done is work,” says Venus. It is the stuff of movies, and, indeed, this past year Venus and Serena executive-produced King Richard, a film that tells the story of their early years through the lens of the fierce love of their father, played by Will Smith. This rise to power would be atypical for anyone, but for two Black girls from Compton, California, it’s legendary. Venus is now 41, Serena is 40, and neither has yet retired-a rare two-decade streak of physical authority for any athlete. Between them, they have 48 Grand Slam titles (including 14 shared women’s doubles titles), several fashion lines, a venture-capital firm, and an interior-design company. That is more than 20 years of Williams sisters not only dominating the world of tennis but also starring as main characters in the Venn diagram of sports and pop culture. ![]() Venus Williams made her professional tennis debut in 1994. On Venus Williams: Sara Cristina one-piece Panthère De Cartier earrings. On Serena: Norma Kamali one-piece Cartier High Jewelry earrings and necklace.
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