Williams, Venus

Williams, Venus (Venus Ebone Starr Williams), 1980–, b. Lynwood, Calif., and Serena Williams, 1981–, b. Saginaw, Mich., African-American tennis players. Coached by their father, Richard, both sisters turned professional early, but neither played regularly until the late 1990s, when they began to dominate women's singles tennis with their power games. They have also teamed as winning doubles partners.

Venus turned pro at 14, reached the finals of the U.S. Open in 1997, and won her first Women's Tennis Association (WTA) singles championship in 1998. She captured her first Grand Slam events in 2000, winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, as well as the Olympic gold medal in women's singles. In 2001, Venus successfully defended her Wimbledon and U.S. titles. In the U.S. Open she defeated Serena in the first sisters' championship since 1884; it was the first time that two African-Americans competed for the title. Venus won Wimbledon again in 2005.

Serena turned pro in 1995, and four years later she won her first WTA singles title. The same year she captured her first Grand Slam event, winning the U.S. Open. During the next two years Venus was in the ascendancy, but in 2002 Serena bested her older sister three times to win the French and U.S. opens and Wimbledon. In 2003, Serena defeated Venus to win her first Australian Open and second Wimbledon titles; she won the Australian Open again in 2005 and 2007.

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Williams, Venus

(born June 17, 1980, Lynwood, Calif., U.S.) U.S. tennis player. Venus and her sister Serena were taught by their father to play tennis when they were young. Venus turned professional in 1994, and Serena followed suit a year later. The sisters attracted attention in professional women's tennis because of their forceful ground strokes and obvious strength and endurance on the court. Venus won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001, but in 2002 Serena defeated her in the finals of the French Open, the U.S. Open, and Wimbledon. Venus went on to win Wimbledon in 2005 and 2007.