A 20-Year-Old Serena Williams Was Once Star-Struck After Seeing Elite A-Listers Like Jay-Z, Allan Houston at US Open – ‘Want to Watch Little Me Play’

The American tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams dominated their rivals with fierce and powerful styles on the tennis court. The Williams sisters have also played against each other on various occasions. However, one of their fixtures was special as many A-list celebrities attended to watch the Willimas sisters.

The 23 Grand Slam champion played against her sister in their first-ever Grand Slam final. Serena was left star-struck when she saw all the A-list celebrities cheering on for her and Venus in New York.

Serena Williams once played against her sister in front of A-list celebrities

Venus Williams defeated her compatriot and rival, Jennifer Capriati, in the semifinal match of the US Open in 2001. As a result, Venus reached the finals of the tournament, where she competed against her sister, Serena. Many celebrities, like the popular American Rapper Jay-Z and the former basketball player, Allan Houston, were also there to witness the Williams sisters as they competed in their first Grand Slam final.

The American Actress-singer, Brandy, was also there to cheer on the Williams sisters. As a result, Serena was amazed to see all those A-list celebrities on the stands. The 23 Grand Slam title winner stated, “Hey, I wouldn’t have missed it either if I knew something so historic was going to happen,”

Venus Williams performed brilliantly as she defeated her sister 6-2, 6-4, to win the US Open title in 2001. However, her sister, Serena, was proud after her defeat against the 7 Grand Slam champion. Serena further added, “I guess a lot of people want to watch us. For me, it’s really exciting because some of these [celebrities] are really superstars. I didn’t think that they would want to watch little me play tennis.”

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The Grand Slam fixture between the Williams sisters also broke the viewership record for women’s tennis in the United States. The thrilling match got a TV rating (of 7.7 overnight) which was the best after a period of two decades in America.

The Williams sisters’ stellar tennis journey

The American tennis stars, both Serena and Venus, made their tennis debut at a very young age when they were just 14 years old. Since then, Serena has achieved 23 Grand Slam titles in her illustrious tennis journey. Additionally, her sister, Venus, is the 7 Grand Slam champion after her debut at the age of 14. They both have reached the world’s No. 1 ranking in the WTA tour.

The American tennis sisters have played against each other 31 times during their illustrious tennis journey. Serena has grabbed 19 wins against her sister during this period. However, despite their fierce rivalry on the court, the Williams sisters have always respected and supported each other.

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