"Venus Williams came in as a black woman shaking up the world" - When Serena Williams thanked sister for soaking up all the pressure during their rise

Serena Williams and Venus Williams burst onto the scene in the 1990s, taking the tennis world by storm. The sisters, groomed for greatness from a very young age by their father Richard, captivated the attention of the sports world with their achievements on the tennis court and their personality off it.

Of the two, it was Venus Williams who blossomed first, reaching her first Slam final in 1997 at the US Open, although sister Serena won her first Slam before her at the 1999 US Open. Venus' maiden Major came a little later, at the 2000 Wimbledon Championships. Venus Williams also became the first African-American woman to be ranked World No. 1 in the Open Era.

Although Serena Williams went on to become much more successful than her in her tennis career, many, including Serena herself, consider Venus Williams to be the trailblazer who made her success possible.

Speaking in an interview with Inside Tennis in 2015, Serena Williams lavished praise on her father first, opening up about how his unorthodox approach to their careers as a coach made people pay attention to them.

"We [were] different. We didn’t play juniors. Our dad [was] our coach for years. Usually you switch it up a little bit … We’re black. We started something new. It was fresh. It [was] definitely something opposite from what you’d expect from an average player…" Serena Williams said.

Going on to talk about her sister, the 23-time Grand Slam champion had nothing but praise for the way she handled all the pressure thrown on the sisters with maturity and an air of royalty about her.

"[Venus Williams] came in as a new face, a black woman who was shaking up the world. She had all the pressure … I just came in behind her, just snuck in there. There was no pressure … She dealt with it so amazingly. She had a lot of confidence and class, and still does … She’s definitely grown, but she’s always been very mature and very regal," she added.

Venus and Serena Williams met 31 times on the WTA Tour, with the latter leading 19-12 before her retirement in 2022.

Serena Williams on her influence: "I’m not picture-perfect, and that could be inspiring"

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Speaking in the aforementioned interview, Serena Williams also discussed what she thought her influence as a global sports icon was, expressing her pleasure over the fact that she had become a person many around the world could look up to.

Williams was of the opinion that her image as someone who could still make mistakes and learn from them was much more significant than an idol who appeared 'picture-perfect' in the public eye.

"It’s gone full circle. I’ve become the person that people can look up to—but not on purpose. I just go out there and do the best I can. I’m myself, and people can learn from my mistakes and from what I do right. I’m not picture-perfect, and that could be inspiring, as well…The only thing that motivates me is that I love what I do—that’s why I continue," Serena Williams said.

While Serena Williams is retired, Venus Williams continues to remain active on the WTA Tour, but is currently unranked after a prolonged absence.