How Long Will the Williams Sisters' Greatness Last?

Like living markers on a timeline, active WTA Tour players serve as references and witnesses to the longevity and greatness of Serena and Venus Williams. 

As Serena and Venus walked on to the court at Rod Laver Arena to play in the women's singles final of the 2017 Australian Open on Saturday, Lizette Cabrera was in Taipei City getting ready for a first-round match in the Taiwan Open. 

Cabrera, a 19-year-old Australian, received a wild card into the main draw of the Australian Open. She lost in the first round and headed for Taiwan as a couple of sisters, aged 35 and 36, continued conquering opponents ranging in age from 19-34.

Born December 19, 1997, Cabrera was still an infant when Serena and Venus first met in a Grand Slam, January 21, 1998, at the Australian Open. Ranked No. 192, Cabrera has a ways to go before she can sniff anything remotely close to the success earned by the William sisters. 

And they're not finished.

Even as they shatter records, the end of their era is nowhere in sight. Just how long can these all-time greats maintain this level of greatness?

Serena defeated Venus 6-4, 6-4 Saturday to win her 23rd Grand Slam title, a record in the Open era. She also returned to No. 1, a spot she relinquished to Angelique Kerber last summer at the U.S. Open. Venus will rise from No. 18 to No. 11. 

At 36, Venus became the oldest woman to reach an Australian Open final in the Open era. Serena will break the record she set back in 2013 when she became the oldest woman to reach No. 1. 

These achievements might seem like the perfect high notes for a swansong. However, there is no talk of retirement coming from Venus or Serena. Instead, Venus has spoken about playing in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. She'll be 40 then.

The sisters played in their first Olympics in 2000 in Sydney, Australia. Martina Hingis finished that year ranked No. 1 for the third time in four years. But she didn't win any Grand Slams that year. Venus won two.

Hingis continues to play but in doubles only. In fact, Hingis keeps a full tour schedule in doubles and mixed doubles, but the five-time Grand Slam champion avoids singles, a testament to the how high the Williams sisters raised the bar in women's tennis. 

"The Williams sisters pretty much retired Hingis," women's coach Craig Kardon told the Harvey Araton of the New York Times in 2015. "There are still a few players with that style, counterpunchers, and they can certainly be top 10. But can they dominate? I doubt it."

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They ushered in the era of what tennis analyst Mary Carillo calls "Big Babe Tennis." 

Other big babes, Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka, arrived. But none of them have surpassed the Williams sisters in terms of Grand Slams won. Sharapova, with five titles, is a distant third. No other active player has more than two. 

The WTA is full of emerging hopefuls like Belinda Bencic, 19, and Coco Vandeweghe, 25. Every year there is a player who sends the Williams sisters packing. Johanna Konta, 25, had the hot hand in Melbourne, until she ran into Serena. So did Vandeweghe, until she ran in Venus.

Contenders rise and fall, yet the Williams sisters maintain their level of greatness. Even when they stumble, it's never for too long. They regroup, tweak and come back stronger. 

After their match, Serena, in congratulating Venus for her surprising run, told the fans in Rod Laver Arena: "I don't like the word comeback because she's never left."

While they were giving their post-match speeches, Andrea Petkovic, 29, was in St. Petersburg, Russia, as the No. 1 seed for the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, a premier WTA event. Six years ago, Petkovic was being talked about as one of the women with the game and power to take on Serena.

That's when Petkovic danced on the court and called herself Petkorazzi. Yes, Petkorazzi was a thing back in 2011, when Petkovic reached a career-high No. 9. At the time, Petkovic was the No. 1-ranked German, above friend and compatriot Kerber. Petkovic is No. 59 now.

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That was also the year Venus Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that would drain her energy and send her plummeting down the rankings outside the top 100. 

In a post-match interview on ESPN's SportsCenter, tennis great Chris Evert said she wasn't sure Venus would even play again. Now, "I hope to see her around for many years," Evert said of Venus.

Of Serena, Evert added: "She's going to be here for another three years."

Former Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez agreed: "Serena is still in her prime. ... She's not going anywhere." 

Serena and Venus are old by any sports standard. However, it's not like they are languishing outside of the top 50 and relying on wild cards to stay relevant. They remain at the top despite all the challengers who have come and gone throughout their careers.

How long can this continue? As long as they want it to.