LN T ROD IIIIIIIIII A IIIIIIIII DES MOINES ILOILOILLIES IIIIIIIII Venus and Serena Williams have faced each other on the court numerous times in singles finals They have also teamed up to win a record number of doubles
U C T I O N ew tennis players have changed the world of tennis quite like Venus and Serena Williams Between them they have won most of the sport s biggest tournamentsi individually and as a doubles team record amounts of prize money and a total of five Olympic N gold medals In the early 2000s the tennis star sisters dominated the sport's Grand Slam events the four most important tennis tournaments The sisters grew up in a poor area of Los Angeles As youngsters they had to fight against racist attitudes to succeed Through talent and hard work they became two of the most successful women's tennis players of all time The sisters have used their fame to fight for equal pay for women s tennis players and to raise money for charity For women today there are few better E role models than Venus and Serena two truly great athletes who have made a real difference in their
CHAPTER 1 THE WILLIAMS SISTERS STORY ichard Williams always wanted his daughters Venus born June 17 1980 in Lynwood California and Serena born September 26 1981 in Saginaw Michigan to have a better life than he had had In the poor crime ridden neighborhood of Compton California where the Williamses lived there were few opportunities for young African Americans to better themselves After watching a tennis match on television Richard Williams decided he would coach his daughters in tennis with the aim of setting them on the path of great sporting careers Serena Williams has come a long way since she learned to play tennis on the public courts in Compton Here she is seen in action at the 2013 Australian Open in Melbourne
THE WILLIAMs SISTERS STORY It was a bold plan not least because tennis in the United States at the time was dominated by white players from more privileged backgrounds When Venus was just five and Serena was four their father took them to the public tennis courts in Compton for the first time From that moment on tennis became their life It was not easy for the Williams sisters to enter the world of junior tennis They often had to put up with racist comments from the parents of other players who resented their success and ability Yet it only made Venus and Serena more determined to succeed STAR STATS As junior tennis players both Venus and Serena achieved amazing records Venus won every one of her 63 matches Serena won all but three of her 49 matches CCCCC CITDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
