Serena Williams recollects details about sister Venus Williams' WTA tour debut on its 28th anniversary
Serena Williams took to social media today to share a story from the time Venus Williams made her debut, on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the latter's debut match.
In an Instagram post, older sister Venus reflected on the start of her tennis journey as a professional, and the remarkable journey she has had — highlighted by five Olympic medals, seven singles, 14 doubles, and two mixed doubles Grand Slams.
"On this day 28 years ago I made my debut to professional tennis. I never imagined 28 years later what @serenawilliams and I would experience in this sport. I can recount the wins and the losses, but in the end it was always about the pursuit of my best self. Everyday, win lose or draw. I can look back with no regrets. It’s all been worth it," she wrote.
Serena reshared the post and wrote:
"My mama made this outfit for @venuswilliams when she was 15 for her tennis debut."
Venus Williams: "Serena Williams and I are really dependent on one another"
In a recent interview with Glamour UK, Venus Williams spoke about her connection with Serena Williams and acknowledged that the two sisters are pretty reliant on one another. Remarking that the two had the propensity to follow one another even as little young girls, she said:
"We do the same thing that the other one does. It just goes on and on, it's an endless cycle – even when we were around eight years old and going like, 'I want to do it, too!'"
The 42-year-old touched on making her professional debut at the age of 14 and how she and her sister had "elevated" tennis with their success.
"At the time, I didn't know that I was different and now I realise how very different I was. But difference is what makes the world beautiful – and I think people really can see that now, in terms of what Serena and I have accomplished in the sport, and how it's elevated tennis, sport or even the world. So different is the only way to go," she stated.
Unlike her younger sibling, Venus has not retired from the sport, despite only playing four singles matches this year and failing to win a tour-level victory. She was last in action at the 2022 US Open, where she lost in the first round in both the singles and doubles.