There are rivals, and then there are sisters who have shared a lifetime under the same spotlight. Serena Williams needed no racket, no court, and no scoreboard to deliver her latest tribute to Venus — only a few lines that landed with the weight of history.
After watching her elder sister marry actor Andrea Preti, Serena offered a message that was as intimate as it was revealing. It spoke not just to a wedding, but to decades of shared purpose, pressure, and pride.
A Bond Forged Long Before Centre Court
Serena’s X/Twitter post read less like a congratulatory note and more like a quiet love letter. She traced their journey from “backyard courts to the world stage,” framing Venus not merely as a champion, but as a guiding presence.
“Seeing you step into this next chapter so loved and radiant means everything to me. Forever proud to stand beside you,” Serena wrote, distilling a relationship that has survived fame, rivalry, and relentless scrutiny.
The wedding itself reflected that closeness. After an initial ceremony in Preti’s native Italy in September, celebrations rolled on in Palm Beach, stretching across five days and encompassing everything from parties and bridal showers to a courthouse ceremony ahead of the nuptials. Serena was there throughout, firmly at Venus’ side.
From Grand Slam Finals to Group Chats
If Serena’s words carried poetry, her description of the build-up carried humour. Speaking to PEOPLE, she admitted the planning phase had turned their already constant communication into a near-daily strategy meeting.
“We talk every day now because we have so much going on,” she said, before clarifying that most of the workload belonged to Venus. Serena, true to form, played the fixer. When Venus floated the idea of 14 different hairstyles, Serena responded with ruthless efficiency, delivering a fully-formed PDF within half an hour.
It was a small anecdote, but a telling one. Even away from tennis, their dynamic remains unchanged: Venus leads, Serena executes.
Rivals, Partners, Legends
On court, their rivalry was as fierce as it was historic. They faced each other in nine Grand Slam finals, with Serena winning seven, including four straight meetings between 2002 and 2003. Their final major showdown came in 2017, when Serena famously lifted the Australian Open trophy while eight weeks pregnant.
Yet their greatest dominance came together. As a doubles team, the Williams sisters won 14 Grand Slam titles, three Olympic gold medals, and 22 WTA titles. Few partnerships in tennis history have matched that blend of trust and instinct.
Complete Breakdown of All Titles Won by the Williams Sisters
Grand Slam Doubles Titles (14)
Australian Open (4)
- 2001
- 2003
- 2009
- 2010
French Open (2)
- 1999
- 2010
Wimbledon (6)
- 2000
- 2002
- 2008
- 2009
- 2012
- 2016
US Open (2)
- 1999
- 2009
Olympic Doubles Gold Medals (3)
- Sydney 2000
- Beijing 2008
- London 2012
They are the only doubles team in tennis history to win three Olympic gold medals.
WTA Tour Doubles Titles (22)
- 1998 Oklahoma City
- 1999 Australian Open
- 1999 French Open
- 1999 US Open
- 2000 Wimbledon
- 2001 Australian Open
- 2002 Wimbledon
- 2003 Australian Open
- 2008 Wimbledon
- 2009 Australian Open
- 2009 Wimbledon
- 2009 US Open
- 2010 Australian Open
- 2010 French Open
- 2012 Wimbledon
- 2012 London Olympics*
- 2013 Miami
- 2013 Madrid
- 2013 Beijing
- 2014 Dubai
- 2015 Wimbledon
- 2016 Wimbledon
Different Paths, Same Spotlight
Any lingering hopes of a joint comeback have been firmly shut down by Serena, despite completing paperwork that briefly reignited speculation. Venus, however, is heading in the opposite direction.
She is set to return at the ASB Classic from January 5–11, with a possible Australian Open appearance looming. At 44, Venus is once again preparing to test herself against the tour she helped redefine.
For now, though, tennis can wait. Serena’s message made that clear. This moment was not about titles or trophies, but about seeing her sister step into something new — happy, loved, and still leading the way.
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