"It's a little bit sad for women's tennis" - When Venus & Serena Williams came under fire from Wimbledon opponent with match-fixing accusations

Venus and Serena Williams have been no strangers to controversy throughout their careers, but one of the most talked-about incidents came in 2002 when match-fixing allegations were directed at them and their father, Richard Williams. One of the voices fueling that speculation was their former rival, Amelie Mauresmo.

The controversy surfaced during the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, where both sisters advanced to the final. Serena had defeated Mauresmo in the semifinals, while Venus got past Justine Henin. It was the second consecutive Grand Slam final between the sisters, following their clash at the French Open just weeks earlier.

After her loss, Mauresmo didn’t hold back in her interview with the French press. She suggested that Venus and Serena were deciding match outcomes between themselves, even though she admitted she had no evidence to back it up.

“I think they arrange it - I don't have any proof of this or inside information, but take for example the match at Roland Garros - it could have been arranged. As Serena won in Paris, maybe they'll change it and it'll be Venus' turn now,” she said.

The Frenchwoman also questioned whether Venus and Serena’s dominance was actually good for women’s tennis.

Amelie Mauresmo on Venus & Serena Williams’ domination: “People are going to get bored of it”

Venus and Serena Williams pictured at the 2022 US Open | Image Source: Getty

During the same interview with the French media, Amelie Mauresmo made a striking comment, saying she didn’t think Venus and Serena Williams’ dominance was good for women’s tennis. She felt that if the sisters kept reaching every Grand Slam final and winning all the titles, fans might quickly lose interest.

Mauresmo said:

"I think people are going to get bored of it. I'm not counting how many people since yesterday told me: 'We don't want an all-Williams final.’”

"To me, it's a little bit sad for women's tennis, but maybe it's not the point of view of everybody,” she added.

Along with the French Open and Wimbledon finals in 2002, Venus and Serena Williams also faced each other in the US Open final that year, with the latter coming out on top in all three. The sisters strongly denied the match-fixing accusations that followed them during that period and stood by their father, Richard.