News

Nine years later, it remains a transcendent image of the Serena Williams-Venus Williams rivalry. Venus is sitting in the friends' seats at the U.S. Open, right after her sister Serena won the final.

There is not the slightest inclination to rejoice, her blank face is in shock that her baby sister (by 15 months) had beaten her to the ultimate prize in tennis — a Grand Slam title.

The sisters have come a long way in the tennis world since that moment, with Richard Williams, their father/coach, being a big part of it. Among his often outrageous declarations has been some truth, including the claim from the early days of his daughters' playing tennis just off the mean streets of Compton, Calif., that Serena and Venus would be No. 1 and No. 2 in the world. That came true in 2002.

There was also the claim Serena would prove to be the better player. At first, when Venus, 28, broke through, that seemed far-fetched. But Serena, 26, has since proved him right, holding eight Grand Slam titles to her big sister's six.

During the Williamses' 2002-03 heyday, they played in five of six Grand Slam finals, with Serena winning all five — two Wimbledons and one title each at the Australian, French and U.S. Opens.

Gradually, as they grew older, they gained identities separate from their larger-than-life father.

This week, Venus said about the 2003 shift in their on-court rivalry, "[It was a] balance of her going up and up and me kind of being a little tired, a little burned out."

Serena leads their head-to-head 8-7 and has won seven of their past nine encounters dating back to 2002.

Staying together in the same house in Wimbledon, they go into today's final without their father. He has gone home to Florida, claiming his work is done, his daughters are in the final.

Serena's boyfriend, the rapper Common, is with her, while Venus's fiancé, pro golfer Hank Kuehne, has not been seen in London.

When they step on-court today, Serena, with a more visceral competitive drive, will surely be motivated by the thought that she lost her chance at last year's title, won by Venus, when she injured her left wrist and was diminished in her semi-final loss to Justine Henin.

Defending champion Venus, four times a Wimbledon winner to Serena's two, has a Roger Federer-like sense of fealty to the All England Club, and wants to add to her legacy there.

Who will win? Virginia Wade, the last Briton to win Wimbledon (1977), was asked to give a name on Thursday. "Williams," was the only reply she could come up with.

In that, she is not alone.

Special to The Globe and Mail