Published 02/22/2023, 7:46 AM EST
Venus and Serena Williams created a different buzz when they first stepped into the professional tour. However, back in their junior days, there were times when the elder Williams sister was accepted as the rising star in the sport, while Serena was just a kid trying to play tennis. However, with time, things have changed, and the 23-time Grand Slam champion somewhere overshadowed her elder sister after creating a greater impact on the tennis world. But when they started playing professional tennis, things were quite different between them in terms of how she felt about herself, particularly the way she looked.
Serena Williams on mistakenly getting tagged as Venus
The American tennis superstar referred to their junior years when her older sister was a budding star and was breaking records on her own in her autobiography, “Queen of the Court.” The 23-time Grand Slam champion, though, wasn’t far behind in setting records either. She was, however, consistently misidentified as the older Williams’ sister, since she was the sister of a budding star.
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Serena Williams (L) and Venus Williams touch rackets after Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 during Top Seed Open – Day 4 at the Top Seed Tennis Club on August 13, 2020 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
She recalled, “The buzz around Venus’s game only got louder. As we developed, because she never lost a match as a junior player. Venus was still way taller than me, but a lot of times people couldn’t tell us apart. They’d call me Venus; they’d call her Serena. But once they saw us play, that made it easier. They could tell the fierce swan from the ugly duckling, no problem.”
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Moreover, upset by the comparison, the former tennis player at that time thought of herself as an ugly duckling and was quite disappointed in herself. And with time, the American tennis legend also became quite competitive with her own sister.
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When Williams envied her own sister
Both Williams sisters, together, have broken records on and off the tennis court. Nevertheless, on a personal level, the 23-time Grand Slam champion was quite competitive with her own sister. Whether it be on the tennis court or studying in the same class.
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According to the American tennis legend, the 42-year-old tennis star was always better than her, which made her quite anxious. There was a time when both sisters joined college together and were in the same class. However, seeing the seven-time Grand Slam champion ace her studies kind of made the former world number one jealous of her own elder sister.
Can you relate to what Serena was feeling about her sister? Do you have a sibling who makes you jealous?