"Rumors are more exciting than the truth" - When Venus Williams denied claims of father Richard influencing outcome of her matches vs Serena Williams
Venus Williams once denied allegations that her father, Richard Williams, influenced the results of her matches against her sister, Serena Williams.
Venus and Serena Williams locked horns in 31 tour-level encounters between 1998 and 2020. The stage was set for a thrilling showdown between the two sisters in the semifinals of the 2001 Indian Wells Open as well. Serena booked her spot in the last-four with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Lindsay Davenport, while Venus triumphed over Elena Dementieva 6-0, 6-3.
Following her defeat to the American, Dementieva was asked about her expectations regarding the match's outcome between the two sisters. In response, the Russian alleged that their father, Richard, would decide which of the two would come out on top and predicted that Serena Williams would advance to the final.
"I mean, I don't know what Richard thinks about it. I think he will decide who's going to win tomorrow. But it looks like Serena because I saw a little bit of this match. She played extremely well. I think she will be in the final," she said.
Dementieva's claim gained traction when Serena did indeed progress to the final after Venus withdrew due to a knee injury just moments before the contest was scheduled to commence, drawing jeers and boos from the crowd.
During her press conference, Venus Williams was asked about Dementieva's comment and the prevalent belief that her father had orchestrated her withdrawal. Venus shot down the Russian's claims and asserted that comments like hers started such rumors and overshadowed the truth.
"Everyone has their own opinion," Venus Williams said. "No, it's not a true opinion at all. Everyone makes their own comments. That's how rumors get started. I guess rumors are more exciting than the truth."
Serena eventually clinched the title, beating Kim Clijsters 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final.
A brief look at Serena Williams and Venus Williams' rivalry
Venus and Serena Williams faced off in 31 encounters on the tour, with Serena leading 19-12 in their head-to-head record, including an 11-5 winning record in Grand Slam meetings.
The sisters first locked horns at the 1998 Australian Open, where Venus claimed a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory. However, Serena emerged victorious in both their subsequent encounters at the Melbourne Slam, claiming victories in the 2003 and 2017 finals.
Additionally, they met at the US Open on six occasions, with Serena triumphing in four. She also secured a 4-2 record against Venus in their clashes at Wimbledon. Their sole encounter at the French Open, in the 2002 final, also went the way of Serena Williams.