Venus and Serena: The DNA of a Champion

We had a fascinating discussion last weekend over the major differences between the games and on-court persona of Venus and Serena Williams during our weekly Open Forum Friday.

Incidentally, if you have been hesitant to join the discussion, please reconsider and begin participating this week! We don’t pretend to have all the answers to the tennis world’s problems, but we’re open to hearing viewpoints from all sides of a debate.

As I said, Friday’s discussion was on Venus and Serena, with emphasis on who is the more dominant of the duo. Both women have already proved this year that they are capable of coming out of nowhere and capturing a Grand Slam title if their fitness and dedication match their hunger and zeal for a big win.

However, Venus and Serena are completely different players. They may share some of the same DNA, but their games and personalities could not be more dissimilar.

Regular commenter Will.I.Am hit the nail on the head:

Venus, in my opinion, is the perfect tennis player. She has everything it takes to be dominant. The height, the speed, the strength, the technique. She is pure perfection.

However, Venus does not have it all there mentally. Sometimes she can pull it all together (the mental and physical game), but it doesn’t happen a lot. Serena on the other hand, what she lacks physically compared to Venus, she makes up with her mental game.

If you want a textbook example of what it takes to be a successful tennis player, look at Venus Williams. She has every shot in the book, moves like a lithe deer, and hits as if she is out to destroy the ball. Nonetheless, the mental aspect of the game, something that cannot be taught from a textbook, occasionally comes up short for Venus.

Sheer will power is Serena’s strong point; when Venus gets in a bind and the textbook fails her, she often has trouble refocusing her game.

Another commenter Kurt concurred with Will.I.Am:

Besides owning eight majors as opposed to Venus’ six, and neglecting the fact that she beat her sister in four straight major finals from Paris ‘02 to Melbourne ‘03, Serena is much more mentally tougher. Venus has admitted this, saying how she admires and wishes to duplicate her sister’s determination. And I think the mental strength is what separates the best players in the world.

You’re obviously a good player to get into the top 10, but to really be the best in the world, you have to have the heart and head. Serena’s got both.

Outwardly, Venus is more sensitive than her kid sister. Whereas Serena will fire back at her critics, Venus retreats behind her steely exterior reserve. I definitely would not say that Venus does not have the heart of a champion, because her last two Grand Slam titles more than proved that fact. However, when it comes to true grit, Serena is the queen.

All this and more is what makes up the allure of the Williams sisters and why fans love to have love/hate relationships with them. They see Serena’s passion and drive, compared to Venus’ skill and fitness. Combined, you would have the proverbial dream machine.

Side by side, take a look at two of the greatest tennis players in history.