"I was hoping Steffi would win" - When Serena and Venus Williams' father Richard Williams picked German as his favorite player over his daughters
Serena Williams and Venus Williams' father and coach Richard Williams once opened up about his high level of admiration for Steffi Graf and why the German great was his "favorite player" while his daughters were only second and third favorites. He said that he always wanted to see Graf win and extended a bit of support to her even when she played against his daughters.
Richard Williams had always dreamt of his daughters becoming the best players in the world. While both were still teenagers, they beat the then superstars of the sport, Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis, on the same day at the 1999 Lipton Championships in Miami. 19-year-old Venus Williams beat Graf, while 18-year-old Serena Williams beat Hingis, in their respective semifinals.
Venus and Serena Williams were both making rapid strides, earning many fans at the time, and while Richard was proud of them, Graf remained his favorite. Speaking during a press conference after Venus defeated the legendary Graf in March 1999, he opened up on his admiration for Graf.
"Actually, Steffi Graf is my favorite player on the Tour, and Venus and Serena would be my second and third. I admire Steffi Graf more than any player," the former tennis coach said.
He then elaborated on the same, saying that he held Graf in high regard because she 'carried the tour' on her shoulder. He admitted that he wanted Venus Williams to beat Graf, but he also supported Graf during their Lipton Championships semifinal.
"The reason I admire Steffi Graf so much, when other players was not there, Steffi Graf was there. Steffi Graf, as far as I'm concerned, took the WTA, the Tour, and everyone else on her shoulder and did a marvelous job. I wanted to see my daughter beat Steffi Graf, but I guess I was hoping Steffi would win, too. But in reality, I really wanted to see Venus win. Steffi Graf is my favorite player," he expressed.
Serena and Venus Williams created history by reaching 1999 Lipton Championships final
By beating the likes of Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis in the 1999 Lipton Championships final, Venus Williams and her younger sister Serena Williams created history by becoming the first sister pairing to contest a WTA final. Older sibling Venus won the final 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 and defended her title. She was the 6th seed, while Serena was the 16th seed in the tournament.
Later that season, Serena won her maiden Grand Slam singles title at the US Open. She combined with Venus to win the women's doubles title at the New York Grand Slam for the sisters' second Grand Slam doubles title together, after winning the French Open earlier that year.