"It was almost like a death, that loss for Venus" - When Venus Williams' mother Oracene price revealed how disappointed the American was at not getting to play sister Serena Williams in the final for maiden Grand Slam

An all-sister final between Serena Williams and Venus Williams was on the cards at the 1999 US Open. Serena had to face second seed Lindsay Davenport and Venus was up against top seed Martina Hingis in their respective semifinals. However, fans and the Williams family were looking forward to a dream matchup between the two sisters.

However, that dream was shattered as Venus Williams lost to Martina Hingis in a tough three-set semifinal. Serena Williams battled Davenport in another tough match and came through to reach her maiden Grand Slam singles final. In an interview with Sports Illustrated in 1999, Oracene Price, mother of the two sisters, said that the loss was very devastating for Venus Williams:

"It was almost like a death, that loss for Venus."

Meanwhile, her 18-year-old sister Serena, who learned a lot from Venus, became the first African-American since Arthur Ashe in 1975 to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Price discussed her older daughter's disappointment in detail. Venus felt she "let everybody down" and was also sad at not being able to fulfill the dream of meeting her sister in a maiden Major final. At the same time, she believes she should have been the first of the two to win a Grand Slam, since she was older.

"Venus didn't sleep, and I felt her emotion all night, so I couldn't sleep well either. She thinks since she's the oldest, she should've been the first, that maybe she should've been tougher. That's something they've thought about all their lives: Meeting in a final, two sisters. She feels she let everybody down," Price said.

"Venus just doesn't seem to be doing the right things" - Serena Williams midway through Venus Williams' 1999 US Open SF

Venus and Serena Williams

Venus Williams lost the opening set 1-6 to Martina Hingis in their 1999 US Open semi-final. Her sister Serena, who had already won her semi-final against Davenport, was worried for her sister. Venus was much better in the second set, breaking early before going on to win the set 6-4, but Serena was still not happy with her sister's level of play.

"Venus just doesn't seem to be doing the right things. No, she's definitely not doing the right things. She needs me," Serena Williams said to interviewers as she watched the match.

Hingis won the third 6-3 and reached the final. While the sisters missed out on facing each other in the final that year, the Williams sisters played against each other in a Grand Slam final for the first time at the 2001 US Open. This time, the older sister held her nerve when it mattered most. She beat her sibling to win her fourth Grand Slam singles title.