Madison Keys' 2015 Australian Open Run Shows Williams Sisters' Impact on Tennis

Madison Keys' win over Venus Williams in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Australian Open signifies the past, present and future of American tennis. It also represents the legacy and influence of Venus and Serena Williams.

Keys, 19, reportedly decided to play tennis after watching Venus Williams on television in a Wimbledon match. Keys is among several aspiring tennis superstars, from Spain's Garbine Muguruza to Canada's Francoise Abanda, who have cited the Williams sisters as influencing their careers.

The Williams sisters' impact on women's tennis is long-reaching. Serena Williams, ranked No. 1, could leave the game with more Grand Slams than any woman. She's already earned more prize money than any woman in the history of sports. Speaking of prize money, Venus Williams played a key role in gaining equal pay for women at Grand Slams. 

They have combined to win 25 Grand Slam singles and 15 Slam doubles titles (two mixed doubles for Serena). They've also won three Olympic gold medals in doubles, and each has an Olympic gold medal in singles. 

Perhaps their most notable impact has been on the increased number of black women on the WTA Tour. 

Before they arrived on the scene, there were a handful of black women on the tour, most notably Zina Garrison, Chanda Rubin, Lori McNeil and Alexandra Stevenson. Only Althea Gibson, back in the late 1950s, had won a Grand Slam. 

All of a sudden, there were two sisters dominating the game.

Last year, there were seven black women in the main draw of the U.S. Open. Two others, Tornado Black and Sachia Vickery, lost during the qualifiers. Victoria Duval, who upset Sam Stosur at the 2013 U.S. Open, did not compete because she was recovering from cancer treatment. 

But the Williams sisters are far more than torch-bearers for black women in tennis. They have forever changed the way the game is played. They ushered in an era of relentless tennis, where nonstop aggression was more than a game plan. It became a style of play. 

Too often, members of the media characterize their influence based on race. Leaning too hard on stereotypes, they create myths based on misinformation. One such error was the so-called mentor/mentee relationship between Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens. 

Serena Williams never claimed to have mentored Stephens. In fact, anyone who has watched Stephens play understands that her game bears little resemblance to that of either Williams sister.

Stephens, who stays anchored to the baseline, lacks the aggressive nature and mental focus the Williams sisters bring to a match. Stephens seems allergic to the net.

Keys, however, has the killer serve and is comfortable moving forward. So is Taylor Townsend and Muguruza, two young players who possess the all-important all-court game the Williams sisters continue to play in this era of baseline bashers. 

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Keys has developed more than a wicked forehand. She seems to understand how relentless pressure beats an opponent into submission. Like the Williams sisters, Keys would rather rack up outrageous numbers of unforced errors than shrink in retreat.

Although the Williams sisters, like most players, seek to minimize unforced errors, they also accept them as byproducts of going for your shots. 

From their powerful serves to the death stares across the net, the Williams sisters perfected the art of imitation. During the changeover, they stride with confidence, always seemingly in control. Keys, Muguruza and even Townsend, strut with a similar swagger. 

After her win over Venus Williams, a reporter asked Keys, "Before today did the fan in you think Venus and Serena in another Grand Slam semifinal would be cool?"

Keys responded: "Personally I was kind of thinking I would really like to be in the semifinals. But I wasn't really thinking about that."

Spoken like a future champion and reminiscent of an 11-year-old Serena Williams. Back in 1992, before Keys was born, Trans World Sport interviewed Venus and Serena Williams. Still tweens, the two had yet to accomplish anything big tennis-wise. The interviewer asked Serena Williams, "If you were a tennis player who would you want to be like?" With a sly smile, Williams responded: "I'd like other people to be like me."