Serena and Venus: Power Ranking the Williams Sisters' Best Open Moments

The bond between sisters is said to be one of the strongest when it comes to family ties. The bond shared by Serena and Venus Williams is proof of this sibling connection.

Their love and respect for each other coupled with their passion for the game of tennis creates an atmosphere that spurs each one of them to give it their all when they take the tennis court—always striving to reach the pinnacle of another win for their trophy mantle.

On the Grand Slam stage of the US Open, Serena and Venus have shown just how dominant they can be individually as well as together.

Here are the top five moments at the US Open for one of the greatest sister duos in tennis history—the Williams sisters.

Note: Though not included in this list due to the pain and anguish that it caused Serena, it seemed important to mention that as a result of what she endured when it came to on-court calls in the 2004 US Open quarterfinals, the Hawk-eye review system was officially adopted by the US Open tournament in 2006.

No. 5: Serena's Stamina Showcased on a Grand Stage (2008)

This was a very hard-fought tournament for Serena as she faced stiff competition. She went into the tournament as the No. 4 seed.

In the quarterfinals, she faced her baby sister, Venus. During their match, she saved 10 set points after being down in both sets. But with Serena being the determined player she is, she got herself out of trouble. She won the match, 7-6, 7-6.

She got past Dinara Safina in the semifinals, moving right along.

During the final, she faced the No. 2 Jelena Jakovic who Serena knew was a formidable opponent. Eventually, she was able to secure the win, but not before having to battle back again like she did in the quarters. This time, she was down four set points in the second set. Once again, Serena pulled out the win. Final score: 6-4, 7-5

This win returned Serena to the World No. 1 spot for the first time since 2003.

No. 4: Trailblazing Year for Venus (2000)

Venus eventually got off to one of her best seasons back in 2000 after missing the first quarter of the year due to tendinitis in both wrists. 

Her first big win was at Wimbledon. She put away three of the best on her way to winning the Grand Slam title—Martina Hingis, little sister Serena and Lindsay Davenport.

She followed this win up with wins at Stanford, San Diego and New Haven.

It simply seemed as if Venus was unstoppable based upon how she had been playing. And it turned out to be case.

She went into the 2000 US Open tournament not knowing that it would be somewhat of a repeat of Wimbledon. 

She once again faced Martina Hingis, defeating her in the semis. Venus then faced Lindsay Davenport, who she had also faced previously, defeating her and securing the US Open Women's singles title for the first time.

No. 3: Serena's Triple Play (2002)

Much like her sister's performance in 2000, Serena played extremely well during her 2002 season.

Going into the US Open, she had not only won the Australian Open, but she also added on Wimbledon for good measure.

During the US Open, she faced off against tough opposition. In the quarterfinals, she faced Daniela Hantuchova, beating her in straight sets.

Next up was No. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the semis. She defeated her and added another win to her total, eyeing the finish line.

One more opponent. Wondering who? It was indeed...Venus.

Serena got the win, completing her Slam triple play, along with finishing the year as the World No. 1. This was the first time since Althea Gibson in 1958 that an African-American woman finished at the top spot in women's tennis in the Open Era.

Additionally, this was the first time that a woman captured three Slams in a year since 1997 when Martina Hingis was able to do so.

No. 2: Serena Makes US Open History (1999)

Serena went into the 1999 US Open following a win at the JP Morgan Chase Open in Los Angeles. So she had some momentum behind her for the tournament.

The rankings of the players was almost like a countdown in the order that Serena defeated them.

First, she faced No. 4 Monica Seles in the quarters. Then she faced No. 2 Lindsay Davenport in the semis. Finally she faced No. 1 Martina Hingis in the finals. See the countdown....No. 4...No. 2...No. 1. OK, I did say almost. If only Monica or Lindsay would have been ranked No. 3, it would have been a real countdown.

During these three matches, Serena lost a set a piece to Monica and Lindsay, but she won in straight sets against Martina Hingis—winning a tiebreaker in their second to close things out, 6-3, 7-6.

This win secured a place in history for Serena as she was the first African-American woman to win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open Era.

Althea Gibson had been the first African-American woman to hold this distinguished title. She did it in 1958.

Note: Serena and Venus also won the 1999 US Open doubles title.

No. 1: The Power of Sisterhood (2001)

2001 was a great year for the Williams sisters leading up to and during the US Open itself.

Serena came into the US Open with a couple of tournament titles already under her belt. She was the No. 10 seed for the last Slam of the year.

She was energized to add another title.

She got wins over fellow players, Justine Henin (fourth round), Lindsay Davenport (quarters) and Martina Hingis (semis). This was not an easy group to defeat, but Serena made a point that though not it was not easy, she had the skill to win.

And thus, she was in the final to face another very determined and skilled opponent—Venus.

Venus had been playing exceptionally well. Coming into the US Open she had successfully defended her wins in San Diego and New Haven as well as Wimbledon.

Her level of play did not drop once she reached the US Open.

These sisters played one of the most anticipated sports matches of that year, and it did not disappoint. Venus came away with the win, 6-2, 6-4.

Here are a couple of historical marks left by this tournament:

This was the first Grand Slam singles final contested by two sisters in the Open Era. The last time was back in 1884 by the Watson sisters—Maud defeated her little sister, Lilian, at Wimbledon.

Venus also entered into the tennis record book by becoming just the sixth woman to win the Wimbledon and US Open singles titles back-to-back.

Conclusion

This shot is one that is very symbolic. It depicts Serena and Venus during an awards ceremony for a US Open doubles title.

The symbolism here is not what year it is or what the final score was. The symbolism is the visible shadow that was cast.

When these sisters came into the midst of the tennis world, they were playing in the shadows cast by tennis greats like Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King.

Now, some years later, after establishing two of the all-time greatest tennis careers, Serena and Venus are casting shadows that up-and-coming tennis stars are walking in as another generation works hard to continue the legacy of great women's tennis.

The final Slam of the year begins in a week, and the world will be watching to hopefully see Serena and Venus serve up the dynamic tennis action they are known for.

I hope you've enjoyed a look at some of the Williams sisters' greatest US Open moments.

What's your favorite moment?

Do feel free to leave comments and feedback below?

Special thanks to:

CNN Sports Illustrated

Wikipedia

US Open