Serena Williams vs Venus Williams: Who is the better tennis player?

Serena Williams vs Venus Williams: Who is the better tennis player?

Helix Odhiambo
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:06 PM

Serena and Venus Williams are not new names to the world. You probably have either heard of them or watched them play tennis. They are regarded as two of the greatest tennis players of all time. One of the most heated debates about them is who is better than the other. This article brings you Serena Williams vs Venus Williams comparisons, including achievements, head-to-head stats, and more.

Serena Williams vs Venus Williams; who is the best?
Venus Williams (L) congratulates her sister and opponent Serena Williams, after winning the ladies' singles third-round match at the 2018 US Open, on 31 August 2018. Photo: Julian Finney
Source: Getty Images

The beautiful sisters are known for their dominance in tennis. They have won dozens of titles between them. But, who is older, Venus or Serena Williams? Below is a profile summary of the talented siblings and other fascinating details about them.

Profile summary

Full name

Serena Jameka Williams

Venus Ebone Starr Williams

Date of birth

26 September 1981

17 June 1980

Age (as of July 2022)

40

42

Place of Birth

Saginaw, Michigan, US

Lynwood, California

Height

1.75 m

1.85 m

Weight

70.3 kg

72.5 kg

Parents

Richard, Oracene Price

Richard, Oracene Price

Husband

Alexis Ohanian

Single

Kids

Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.

None

Career

Professional tennis player

Professional tennis player

Plays

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Turned pro

1995

1994

Highest ranking in Singles

No. 1 (8 July 2002)

No. 1 (7 June 2010)

WTA Singles

73

49

Doubles titles

23

22

Grand Slam Singles titles

23

7

Grand Slam Doubles titles

14

14

Olympic Gold Medals

4

4

Net worth

$250 Million

$95 Million

Social media

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

Early life

The tennis duo are the daughters of Richard Williams and Oracene Price. Richard was married three times to Betty Johnson (1965-1973), Oracene (1980-2002), and Lakeisha Graham (2010-2017). He has other children, including Richard Williams III and Dylan Starr. Meanwhile, Oracene also had three daughters before marrying Richard: Yetunde Price, Lyndrea Price and Isha Price.

Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡️ find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy!

Venus Williams and Serena Williams comparison
The two tennis sisters, Venus Williams and Serena Williams, alongside their father Richard, during a tennis camp in Florida in 1992. Photo: Ken Levine
Source: Getty Images

Venus is the oldest of the two sisters. She began playing tennis at four and turned professional on 31 October 1994. Her younger sister started playing tennis in California at five and was home-schooled and coached by her parents. She started her professional career in September 1995. Both sisters trained at Rick Macci's tennis academy.

Serena Williams vs Venus Williams, who is the best?

Venus is one of the ladies hailed for changing the landscape of women's tennis. She has accomplished much in her career, including setting the pace for black women. However, her sister Serena has made much more impact on the sport. So, why is Serena more famous than Venus?

Serena's numbers speak for themselves. She is the most decorated female tennis star and one of the wealthiest and most influential female athletes globally. In addition, the 40-year-old has more titles and a better head-to-head record than her older sister.

Serena Williams vs Venus Williams wins and stats

Who has won more, Serena or Venus?
The Williams sisters in action during a tennis match. They are among the most successful female tennis stars globally. Photo: Sarah Stier, Elsa (modified by author).
Source: Getty Images

The talented siblings have had their share of victories. Serena has a win-loss record of 365-54 in the majors, while her sister has a 271-82 record. Therefore, Serena stands out as the most successful of the two.

Serena Williams vs Venus Williams head to head

The sisters first played against each other in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open. Venus won 7-6(4), 6-1 to advance into the tournament's third round. Since then, they have met 30 times. The last time they faced each other was at the 2020 Top Seed Open, where Serena beat her sister 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the last 16.

Serena enjoys a 19-12 lead over her sister in the WTA head-to-head series. She also boasts a 7-2 lead in the major finals and 9-3 in all-time finals over Venus. Here is a breakdown of their victories per event.

Event

Serena (wins)

Venus (wins)

Grand Slams

11

5

WTA Finals

2

1

WTA 1000

2

6

WTA 500

2

0

WTA 250

1

0

Grand Slam Cup

1

0

Total

19

12

Serena Williams vs Venus Williams trophies

Serena Williams vs Venus Williams trophies
Serena (R) poses with the winner's trophy alongside her sister, Venus who finished as runners-up in the 2017 Australian Open singles tennis match in Melbourne on 28 January 2017. Photo: Greg Wood
Source: Getty Images

In terms of trophies, Serena beats her sister by a big margin. The 40-year-old has 73 singles titles in her career compared to 49 won by her sister. Venus has 22 titles in WTA doubles, while her younger sister has 22 titles. In Grand Slam Singles, Venus has seven against her sister's 23. Meanwhile, both have four Olympic Gold medals.

Serena Williams vs Venus Williams in Wimbledon

The Williams sisters played their first match on grass against each other in the 2000 Wimbledon semi-finals. Venus emerged victorious with a 6-2, 7-6(3) victory over her sister. She then went on to win the Wimbledon trophy and her first Grand Slam singles title.

Awards

The talented siblings have won several career titles, but the younger one boasts of more tennis accolades. Serena's awards include TIME Magazine World's 100 Most Influential People, WTA Player of the Year and the BET Award for Female Athlete of the Year.

Venus has also collected dozens of awards, including winning the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women in the world, the WTA Player of the Year and the BET's Best Female Athlete of the Year award.

Venus Williams vs Serena Williams' net worth

The legendary tennis sisters have made a lot of money from their careers. Venus has an estimated net worth of $95 million, while her younger sister's estimated net worth is $250 Million. Serena is also the highest-earning female player. In 2016, she was named the world's highest-paid female athlete after making almost $29 million in the past 12 months.

Prize money

Serena is unsurprisingly ranked as the highest earner among female tennis stars globally because of her achievements. She has earned $85.5 million in prize money in her career, more than any other lady in the sport. She is followed by her elder sister, who has earned $38 million, and Maria Sharapova, with $34.5 million.

Serena Williams vs Venus Williams games have always lived up to their expectations. Their healthy competition has often helped push one another to the limit. Besides, they have inspired many young ladies to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams.

READ ALSO: Men's tennis rankings as of 2022: Who is the best male tennis player now?

Sportsbrief.com also ranked the best male tennis players in 2022 based on the trophies they won. The sport has produced many top talents who have displayed exceptional performance on the court.

The famous male stars include Novak Djokovic, Rodger Federer and Rafael Nadal. They have won dozens of titles in their remarkable careers. So, click on the link above to discover why they are the best in the sport.

Authors
Helix Odhiambo photo
Helix Odhiambo
Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers.