Serena Williams on Rivalry With Venus Williams: ‘I Didn’t Like to Compete With My Best Friend’

Serena Williams is grateful to leave her rivalry with sister Venus Williams in the past.

While speaking at the 2024 Tribeca Festival premiere of her upcoming docuseries, In the Arena: Serena Williams, the 42-year-old tennis star opened up about her relationship with Venus, 43, and how “difficult” it was to play against her.

"I didn't really like it," said Serena on Thursday, per People. "I didn't like to compete with my best friend. It's very difficult."

"But some people like it," she continued. "Some people are like, 'I want my sibling to go down.' And I'm like, 'I want her to win too,' and so it was very difficult. It was very hard."

Serena also said that the ESPN+ docuseries, which premieres on July 10, will delve into their competitive dynamic in its second episode.

As noted by Biography, Venus and Serena Williams revolutionized tennis and broke barriers as Black athletes. Despite their close bond, their on-court rivalry became legendary. Both turned professional at age 14 and quickly dominated women’s tennis, starting with Venus’ 1997 appearance at the U.S. Open final when she was 17 years old.

Serena’s first Grand Slam win in 1999 created tensions between them as Venus had yet to secure a major title. Venus eventually rebounded when she won Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2000.

Their rivalry was also apparent when they went head-to-head against each other, including when Serena earned her 23rd Grand Slam win at the 2017 Australian Open, defeating Venus in doing so.

The star tennis player softly retired after the 2022 U.S. Open but hinted at a possible return, telling People that her “competitive craving” still exists. However, she is focused on other areas of her life—including being a mother to daughters Adira, born last August, and Olympia, 6, whom she shares with husband Alexis Ohanian, 41.

“I have my kids now and they're like my biggest love,” Serena told Extra TV’s Jenny Taft in a separate interview at Thursday’s premiere. “So I'm obsessed with those kids and I think I put all that intensity that I had in tennis into my children, because I'm super hands on.”

Williams is also busy getting ready to host the 2024 ESPY Awards on July 11, where she says she’s pulling out all the stops in the fashion department.

“Get ready for some serious fashion. Like, I'm going all out for that,” Williams said, adding that she’s not sure how many outfit changes she’ll have. “I haven't decided yet, but I'm thinking through that.”