Published 02/21/2023, 11:06 AM EST
The American tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams grew up on the tennis courts of Compton while sharing a loving and caring bond. Though they both achieved greatness during their journeys on the WTA Tour, it was Venus who initially got all the attention of the public. Not just the fans but also their father and coach, Richard Williams, started spending more time with the 7-time singles Grand Slam champion.
Serena, on the other hand, became quite hurt and jealous seeing her sister getting all that extra attention. The 41-year-old previously made this surprising revelation in a popular book that came out in 2008.
Serena Williams once showcased her envious side
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Serena’s renowned book, “Queen of the court”, depicts the struggles of the Williams sisters while growing up in the shady neighborhood of Compton. In the book, Serena also opened up about the early phase of her illustrious tennis journey. Talking about it, the 41-year-old said that she once felt that nobody believed in her while she was just a kid.
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During that period, her sister was “the phenom, the prodigy, the rising star,” as she outclassed many top players in different tournaments. Consequently, she became the main attraction among the fans and it further had a negative impact on her sister. The former tennis ace opened up about the same in her book.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 19: (L-R) Serena Williams and Venus Williams attend the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 19, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Serena said, “But on another level it hurt. Even my dad, who’s always been my biggest supporter, was spending more time with Venus, more time on her game, more time talking to reporters and coaches about her.”
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The 23-time Grand Slam champion said that her sister gained more and more limelight owing to her growing connections with the media and the public. Serena added, “She was the main attraction. I get that now. I get that Venus deserved all that extra tennis attention. I get that you can raise only one champion–until you look up one day and realize you’ve raised two.”
Many would’ve thought the American tennis sisters might have shared a heated relationship because of their on-court rivalry. Proving them wrong, Venus previously said that her sister is her own flesh and she would never fight with her, despite them being rivals on the WTA Tour.
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What do you think of Serena’s surprising revelation of her envious side? Let us know in the comments section.
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