Why Serena became a better tennis player than Venus

[@ChristiansCourt]

Let me know if y’all want me to do anything different for my future “In the Arena” episode breakdowns! Always open to constructive criticism 🙂

[@godz4ever404]

Did you see that Coco is the FIRST tennis player to carry the US flag in the Olympics? I'm like SERENA has never done it?! Wow! I'm feeling some type of way! Lol.

[@marjorjorietillman856]

Christian, I love and agree with 99% of your analysis and critique. I’m so tired of big media critiques of Serena’s career, because they keep showing the times when Serena got upset, but they rarely show others players when they got angry. I can name several of them who cursed often and beat their rackets, etc. And you never get to see the many times Serena was mistreated by American and overseas fans. And one fan constantly called her the Nword, until she kindly asked them to stop him. So, could you NOT join in pulling out all those photos again, maybe one, because it’s always so one-sided!! Thank you! I have and will continue enjoying your channel!!🙏🏽

[@ViolaHarris-mr2wn]

Serena got that dog in her. Venus mild mannered.

[@theramden6025]

Serena once said she hates losing more than she loved winning. She watched Venus' errors and executed them to a tee. Had she not gotten pregnant, I truly believe she would have won atleast 2 more grand slams. Venus was great but Serena was relentless and I'm enjoying her mini series In the Arena.

[@HerWordship]

Shheeeeessshhhh!!! Their father was so spot on! Almost prophetic!!! Whooossshhhhh!!!

[@Infelsinave]

Venus liked to compete, Serena liked to win. They had two different goals… and that’s how it played out.

[@ChristiansCourt]

that’s a great way of looking at it

[@boby4v2]

Im pretty sure Venus wanted to win as well.

[@iancredible6904]

Serena had the psychological advantage. I think their head to head matches were tougher on Venus. She saw her baby sister across the net who she wanted the best for. Serena just saw someone she wanted to beat.

[@ashlisarang5381]

Damnnn

[@GRACEFS1]

Richard Williams is an amazing tennis coach, he should be in the Hall of Fame.

[@ChristiansCourt]

both him and Oracene!

[@soiconic9446]

I couldnt imagine playing my sibling at such a high level at anything in front of the world. The type of mentality that both sisters had especially Serena is unmatched. To this day a lot of these women don't have that x factor that Serena had (Respectfully). Thank you for the content, you did your big one with this one.

[@israeliana]

Right but 14:00 was all smiles

[@babyg7796]

For those of you who don’t have autoimmune disorders..you have no idea how it affects you even prior to diagnosis! She started to go down BEFORE even being diagnosed & then spent the future years trying to regain control of her life & health. Please do not say V didn’t want it. As someone who’s battling it now & whose job is REQUIRED to be extremely fit & in shape, it’s heart breaking when your body is working against you no matter how much work you put in. Cut it out.

[@EvonneLindiwe]

I agree.. I have RA and as someone who used to be fit most of my life.. I’m no longer the same 😢

[@TeeNicole10]

BLESSINGS TO YOU💝🙏🏽

[@marieboydskinner4749]

@@EvonneLindiweSo agree….i work out everyday except Sundays, take my medicine; but, when RA flare-up, I feel so helpless. I have to talk with God to remain sane and encourage myself. I was diagnosed six years ago. I'm so praying for anyone who is going through🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@seensay2132]

I suspected as far back as that 2005 USO QF loss to Clijsters that there was some kinda health issue. And sure enough, her disease can take 7 yrs to diagnose. But that match she was up 6-4,4-2 sailing toward the finish line and somehow lost 6-1 in the third looking abnormally exhausted. SO unlike her especially back then.

[@marjorjorietillman856]

Venus got most of the applause and media attention in the first years of their careers, whereas Serena got most of the glory in the second half of her career!! And I love how Serena always give lots of credit to Venus!!❤

[@Make_Australia_British_Again]

I think Serena just wanted it more than Venus too.

[@ChristiansCourt]

agreed!

[@marfu1119]

Yes true

[@kenardflowers1962]

I agree, because there's so many times venus could have dominated her

[@Make_Australia_British_Again]

@@kenardflowers1962absolutely. Hard being a Venus fan because she’s so nice, but didn’t have the hunger that Serena had.

[@jcpenny3606]

Nah, Serena just had a ton more power.

[@itzhenrythegamerguy4564]

Serena being shorter allowed her to move better, Venus's movement as fantastic as it once was became a weakness once she got older. Plus, Serena hit with more margin and spin

[@waritolfactive]

100% spot on. I also notice Vee's game being more flat and linear with lots of net approches, while Serena was able to also attack the net but also with a lot more spin and angles on her shots, therefore making her more consistent too.

[@ChristiansCourt]

Venus’ forehand always had considerably less margin on them compared to Serena which I think made a major difference. She hit it a bit too flat for my liking.

[@christopheryoung5032]

Why does it matter who’s better? Venus was a guiding light for Serena and she has said this many times. Two black women who are probably the greatest sibling act in sports history. They are both an amazing in their own right!

[@StewNWT]

@@ChristiansCourt 100% agreed. Sharapova was a crappier lateral mover esp to the FH side and her FH ALWAYS broke down under pace and Venus suffered the same. And trust me, my FH does the same lol. Not my BH though (kisses racquet)

[@aaronusernamefiller9435]

Nah Venus was incredibly quick, had good footwork (unlike Serena) and a massive wingspan it was only after her Sjogren’s started to affect her that her movement became a problem. Serena was better because she had a better serve with more variety and less opportunity to attack her second and her groundstrokes had more margin than Venus and she could open up the court a lot more and she had better return instincts and was able to put a lot more pressure on her opponents and Serena just had more of a champion’s mentality in general and you can really see that in the sisters’ US Open 2008 and AO 2003 matches where Venus was playing better but Serena’s mental game got her through those matches

[@MouhamadouBDiagne]

By the time Venus finally adapted her game in 2017, she was 37 and it was simply too late.

[@ChristiansCourt]

yep.. i wish David Witt would’ve made some changes earlier

[@StewNWT]

Serena's shots were pretty much all better technically than Venus, and got even more so after her connection with Moratoglou. Her serve is the single best technical shot in the history of tennis, men or women. Her FH in particular was MUCH more sound than Venus'. Venus volleys you could argue were better. They both had insane footspeed, Venus had the slight edge on that in the first half of their career than Serena in the second. BHs were both stellar but Serena's technique was just unreal, esp her ability to hit those extreme angles. Richard himself said Serena plays angles better than any other player ever, and it's true. you could make an argument for Nadal as the only player as good at angles as Serena. And then there was the mentality. And no one had a better big game mentality than Serena other than pre-stabbing Seles. Serena before she faded toward the end of her career was at one point 21-4 in Grand Slam finals. 21 and 4. That is insane. Twice by Venus, once by Sharapova, once by Stosur. That's IT.

[@ChristiansCourt]

I think Venus would’ve benefitted from having someone like Patrick later in her career. Yeah she had David Witt, but I don’t think he wasn’t as affective at helping Vee with some weaker aspects in her game

[@StewNWT]

@@ChristiansCourt I agree

[@chanjiewan6823]

@@ChristiansCourt Venus seemed a bit stubborn though like Fed who thought their game did not need to change and that they just needed to play well. Fed made his changes too late in his career where Novak already had the mental edge but it worked against Rafa. Serena's game changed over the years, sometimes within a match.

[@seensay2132]

Excellent breakdown. I will add one observation I think speaks to both of their strengths in differences. I learned to admire Venus’ mentality of not getting too high or low over matches. In her prime, when she won she acted cool like she was supposed to win. When she lost, she seemed to treat defeat lightly as if knowing she WOULD have won if she’d handled her business. The focus was always on her own play. Especially following her disease diagnosis, I think that’s why she was able to take her licks between 2011-2016 and STILL make it back to two Slam finals in 2017. Self belief and focusing only on her own play - and without a lot of rah rah fanfare. Contrast, Serena had the more fiery approach. She could hype herself up against opponents to dig into matches even when being outplayed. It left her more prone to allowing a few rivals to get into her head (Capriati, Henin, Kerber). But it’s also why she’s got a record of some of THE greatest comebacks in tour history- beating World #2 Davenport at 1998 Sydney after trailing 1-6,2-5. Rallying to beat Clijsters in the 2003 Aussie semis from 5-1 down in the 3rd. Winning the 2007 Miami final from 0-6,4-5 down. Toppling Petrova at the 2007 Aussie 3rd RD from 1-6,3-5 down and then going on to win the whole tournament! You don’t pull off those kinds of wins without some serious mental firepower.

[@amawafa7448]

You can't teach brilliance. Moratoglou was just different.(sorry for his influence in what happened to Simona Halep../She said that he let her down).... players often need another perspective and with that, they find their own way...

[@amawafa7448]

And the Mama initially trained Serena....teaching her to be more of an instinctive and intuitive player....Not to be predictable.......Woman Power!

[@deusexmachina9776]

Younger siblings tend to do better than the older sibling in sports, the younger one is physically weaker in early years so they have to over compensate by putting in more work in technique to keep up, and thinking of creative ways to beat the older one since they can't overpower. e.g Osaka, Zverev, Andreeva, Swiatek to some extent

[@ChristiansCourt]

agreed and I also think it has to do with the younger sibling typically having less pressure to be the better of the two

[@chanjiewan6823]

@@ChristiansCourt Actually there is more pressure as the younger sibling as there is someone so close to you for the world to comapre you to.

[@ritzavieux4320]

Serena got better because she knows how good Venus was. She managed to pass her sister in order to be recognized as the beat. She was able to do that because she was the little sister.

[@cfhar080591]

Best way to describe it in my opinion. Venus hated to lose but if she lost to Serena it was ok. Serena doesn't like to lose to ANYONE including Venus.

[@divinegangsta3692]

Nah, Serena had a soft spot for her sister, too. This is why, despite her ambitions and victories, she dealt with the dilemma of triumph over her icon, sister, and best friend! Did ya'll not hear Serena say she cried over this?! Ultimately, both women are Gods in their own right and share the same great skill, genes, grit & passion. They dominated the sport at different times throughout their careers. Such is life.

[@thesovgc]

Venus should have given her that 2000 Wimbledon SF then 💀

[@Solis225]

Christian I remember when you started your channel! Brother you have done an excellent job!! I am so proud of you and being a part of your growth since the beginning! This is a piece. Keep up the good work !

[@ChristiansCourt]

this means so much, thank you 🥹

[@theire483]

If you were around when Venus played in her first major, she did the talk show circuit. What Venus said was, If you think I'm good, just wait until you see my little sister. We had not yet seen Serena play as a pro yet. Every show she was on, she said it ....she then added, she's better than me. Serena wanted more than anything to beat her big sis. She had not done it before the majors.

[@dayzour123]

If you look at a positive way, they both got what they wanted first off. Serena wanted to win the U.S. Open as her first slam Venus wanted to win Wimbledon for her first slam and they both achieved that.

[@chimmaugbor8970]

He prophesied into his child and it came to pass! That is powerful! Not putting them against each other but Serena did truly want more for herself!

[@chanjiewan6823]

Bottom line is Venus never changed anything about her game whilst the drive to win made Serena open, willing to and eventually changed her game over three eras. Her shots evolved with Tennis. And she is way more mentally superior.

[@misterme9829]

That's completely untrue. Venus made many changes to her game over the years, especially after 2012. Her serve, forehand and tactical strategy evolved very well over the years. Injuries and Sjogrens Syndrome is what did Venus in.

[@fivefiveqt214]

I hate when ppl say “why does it matter”. It matters because it does. It matters to Venus and Serena and it matters in history. They worked their asses off to be the best, but there can ultimately only be one and they deserve that recognition. To say one is better than the other doesn’t take away from either’s accomplishments, but to say it doesn’t matter does.

[@gregoryphillips3969]

Serena just wanted it more. When they were young you could watch and see that was Venus moved slightly better was superior at the net. Serena openly admitted that Venus would beat her soundly in practice. Venus as competitive as she was subconsciously tamped her presence down and gave way to Serena. The sickness Venus had later on didn't help matters. Hats off to Serena for her talent, determination and consistency which allowed her to be the greatest female tennis player of all time. As far as Venus goes what a fine person and a great tennis player she was. If Venus would have been a more gritty type of person she would have done much more no matter who was playing.

[@ChristiansCourt]

completely agree!

[@dblog]

I think this is the best analysis! Venus is just as good if not better but Serena simply wanted it more..

[@chanjiewan6823]

I agree and disagree. One can not deemed to be better if they don't have to mental aspects. Tennis is 80/20, mental to physical. Everyone out there is physically strong, can hit hard, can run, can get great high quality coaches and training. What sets players apart is mentality. Physically, they were equal with slight preferences here and there. Mentally, Serena was better which is part of playing tennis. Prime example, there were times when Serena was not on tour and Venus had full chance to dominate and didn't. 2004-2007. Venus won only at Wimbledon. Venus just did not have the killer instinct but she did do well to win 7 slams.

[@gregoryphillips3969]

@chanjiewan6823 Physically Venus had the goods. Your point is an interesting one. Richard Williams early on said that Serena was going to be better. Not because physically Serena was better but Serena was just rough and actually the mother worked more with her. But Richard also once said that if Venus ever started serving and volleying on a regular basis you could shut the whole tour down. But lucky for everyone she stayed on the baseline. Serena's presence had a huge affect on Venus. Even if Serena was out for a bit Venus knew that she was coming back. You make some good points but based solely on the eyeball test Venus was better. Rick Macci tells the story about when he first took the trip to Compton to watch the Williams sisters. He was about to thank Richard for his time and leave. Just before this happened Venus asked to go to the bathroom. Right in the moment Venus jumped up and walked to the bathroom on her hands. Rick Macci signed both of the sisters up right after he saw this, and the rest is history.

[@niltash4ever]

I love this breakdown. I still believe Venus is and was the better player. Serena just wanted it more. It’s that little grit that separates the greats.

[@ebonih7138]

I think it was destiny that they were sisters! You can’t separate their success journeys and it’s so beautiful to see! Their talents informed the other. Reminds me of Chloe x Halle.

[@wheresbaby7783]

Part of it was Venus’s health condition don’t you think but I heard Richard’s say Richard Williams say the reason why Serena is going to be better is because she’s mean

[@ChristiansCourt]

i think venus’ health and Serena mentality were the two main reasons!

[@emmanueln8415]

Richard never used the word "mean" to describe any of his daughters.

[@ViolaHarris-mr2wn]

Serena has that dog in her. Venus is more mild-mannered.

[@Ty0688]

There was a coach that said he was an instrumental part in why Serena is such a good server. Lmao. Oracene was highlighted in the movie "King Richard". The reason she has the wrist flick that can change the direction of her serve last minute is from oracene :)

[@jaibhagat]

Serena had the best second serve of all time.

[@Paakid]

Venus laid the foundation leading to the door Serena would ultimately walk thru. Serena was blessed with that killer instinct and all the negative b.s they heard growing up she used as fuel to her fire!

[@killlamas57]

The father saying Serena was the better player sealed destiny. I’m sure his was the voice in Venus’ ear later on when Serena began to eclipse her.

[@MB-nb7yq]

Serena gives off MJ energy on the court. That anger and passion brought the drive to be the best. She was also probably tired of being in the shadow of her sister in her teens.

[@AmahlAzwar]

My theory is that because Serena growing up was not as powerful as Venus so she developed more tactics as well as improving her shotmaking techniques... so by the time she caught up power-wise... she became unstoppable. Oh of course the fact that Oracene fixed her toss and serve *might* played a part hehe.

[@kimmixerxs]

Brilliant analysis. Thank you. Your love for the Williams sisters shines bright 🎾🎾🎾

[@jerryhand5298]

Amazing video. Your comprehensive breakdown was totally on point! You covered everything - the tennis, the kinship, the emotions, societal forces, etc. and added background information that tied everything together. Kudos to you!

[@seensay2132]

Sanchez Vicario had just won the 1994 US Open months before that fateful Oakland match with Venus. And she did take a bathroom break down 2-6,1-3 to 14 yo Venus, to disrupt her rhythm. So why exactly was she mad about her movie portrayal?

[@kofipokuantwi-boateng5446]

Very insightful. These 2 have been through a lot. I feel at their best, no one is better than them on hardcourts and grass. Venus was just so unfortunate. She was very injury prone. She missed almost 5 months at the start of 2000. She came back in time for the French Open and lost to Sanchez Vicario in the quarter finals. She had an incredible summer, but got injured before the year end championship. Even though she was the best player in the world, there's no way she could finish at the number one player after playing just about 5 months on tour. She was impressive in 2001,but her semi final loss atvthe Australia open was disappointing. I believe that's when the auto immune disease started. 2002 was supposed to be her year. She was quite healthy and was on top of her game. Unfortunately for her, Serena peaked that year. Since Serena's best is better than anyone's best, she had no chance. The auto immune progressively worsened. Since some auto immune diseases come with a mental health problems, i guess it contributed to her choking so many times. My sister suffers from Auto immune, so i know a lot about it. These 2 are my favorite female tennis players. They endured a lot of hate, but rose above it.

[@Xoxojasmm]

richard williams is an incredible man, the way there careers went as he planned and they became super successful aswell as the fact he predicted this, unreal

[@alext3760]

Don't forget that Venus had been going through some tough time with her hips or something that really affected her tennis glory. I know there should not be excuses, but sometimes it needs to be spoken out. I've always liked Venus' playing style more than Serena's, but I prefer Serena's mental toughness in crucial moments. She's the queen of comebacks for no reasons. Love both of them though.

[@dayzour123]

Like i always said I love Serena on the court but Venus had my heart

[@DoubleFaultKing-r4h]

Great video. King Richard and Oracene Price turning those kids into pros in Compton of all places is insane. Not a formula you could even replicate

[@DoubleFaultKing-r4h]

Though the hiding birth control story kinda ehh 😭😭 Joe Jackson Esque

[@ChristiansCourt]

@@DoubleFaultKing-r4hright, he was mad wild for that 😭

[@kenny808kine8]

So happy for this series. Saw episode one so I'll be back after episode 2. I didn't want spoilers. Thanks for covering. Honestly missing them especially during slams and olympics.

[@ChristiansCourt]

episode three is AMAZING!

[@roter13]

Richard literally compared Serena to a pitbull. That's all you need to know. She's meaner and she wanted it more.

[@lostindallas62]

Thx U for Your Insight!😊❤️😊❤️😊👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 THE WILLIAMS SISTERS ARE THE BEST SIBILINGS IN ANY SPORT!!!! THEIR PARENTS DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB IN RAISING THEM AND POURING INTO THEM MENTALLY AND SPIRITUALLY!!❤️🙏🏾❤️🙏🏾❤️🙏🏾❤️💯💯💯💯💯🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@MashuCashew]

Used to be a huge tennis fan.

[@MalcolmAli]

The idea that “Serena just wanted it more” or was an overall better player than Venus is an odd take to me. Venus suffered with injuries (that 03 abdominal tear cost her the title, but also changed how she served moving forward) and most important - Sjogrens which affected her for nearly 7 years before it was finally diagnosed and then she still had to re-learn how to compete at the pro level while navigating an autoimmune disease. Understating the impact Sjogrens had on her career is an unfair assessment. End of 2008 - Venus 7 slams, 39 titles - Serena 8 slams, 32 titles Venus should’ve won that USO QF against Serena and their slam tally should’ve been 8 and 8 that year. 2009-2011 was injuries and more weird performances before she finally got the diagnosis. In either case, they were neck and neck until then. The renaissance Venus finally had 2015-2017 even being older and having an autoimmune disease shows she could’ve been playing at the highest level and competing for slams all along.

[@ellenday2155]

I love watching that video of Richard talking about his daughters. I love seeing how much he believed in them and he was totally right…they both became amazing champions.

[@adrianonline69]

Serena s serve is the best ever

[@mxspresso]

The Alycia Parks sneak 💀… but great video! Definitely loving this documentary so far and can’t wait for your coverage on episode 3!

[@ChristiansCourt]

Thanks so much!!

[@arungania]

Great commentary. You did that. Proud of you sir.

[@ChristiansCourt]

thank you!!

[@NicolasBanayad]

I think the sisters are equally talented and skillfull. Venus is better up the net while Serena has a better serve. The difference is Venus being the older sister giving way for Serena. She got used to giving games and matches to Serena that she felt ok not being the best eventually...

[@rashawncampbell7619]

Clearly they're not equally talented and skillful like nothing you can say can back that up. Lol

[@NicolasBanayad]

@@rashawncampbell7619 whatever Serena is lacking Venus has the edge and vice versa. You are just dumb and stupid to analyze.

[@jasonlee6180]

Great video! Serena's stroke production was cleaner and mentality was different. Both amazing though obviously

[@idrisshepherd7764]

Do you sometimes think that being told your sister is gonna be better than you also had venus feel slightly not as good?

[@bnimi4u]

Venus was grossly hampered by autoimmune disease Sjorgen. It took a while for her to figure it out. She lost valuable time in the process.

[@carolysigar5311]

Nice top tier episode I'm enjoying it

[@ChristiansCourt]

did you watch episode three?

[@gingrbean]

I have no idea how youtube got your channel to me but I AM GRATEFUL! love love love the William sisters 🩷💕

[@tasibho]

Venus was the older sister. She had the burden of having to do well and TAKE care and lead the way for her baby sister.

[@1mcshandy]

Thanks Christan. Take good care of yourself and best wishes Andrew Scotland

[@richardsmith1161]

Serena was just physically stronger and not a nice person on the court, like Venus was. I've been watching tennis since the Chrissy/Martina says and Serena was the second best I've seen, next to Monica.

[@beyourself2444]

She's the second best to me after Steffi but Monica would have been the GOAT if she wasn't stabbed.

[@chanjiewan6823]

I don't think it was a matter of being nice or not. There are different was people handle hate, some face it head on and others handle it quietly. From their teens and especially after Serena won her first slam, I and everyone else could see that Serena was destined for more than Venus. From then all the players wanted to beat Serena, the media hated her, fans were the worst. Venus handled it with better poise but any player who wanted to win more would fight against the haters. This brings up the Novak situation. It's the same with him and what he has been through. Either you consede and do well (Venus 7 slams) or you fight against the tide and do great (Serena 23 slams). They never fudged with Venus the way they did with Serena.

[@daman9971]

A great video! Thank you for this!

[@ChristiansCourt]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrLloyd214]

It doesnt matter. They were both unbelievable players. Venus' health issues hindered her somewhat. I also believe technique on her serve was slightly more clunky not as fluid but nonetheless she was an unbelievable competitor. Also certain mental issues probably sapped her desire to win, such as the passing of her sister, not to say Serena wasn't affected the same way. Also tennis is very age focused, Venus I believe started playing at an older age than Serena, even though they started at the same time. The earlier you start you have more time to be talented and perfect kinks in your game. I enjoyed them both, I actually enjoyed watching Venus in her times when she was winning in the early 2000s all those Wimbledon titles was insane.

[@beatrizdemello5370]

Hello Chris, can I watch this with the Disney Bundle Trio Basic Plan?

[@AC-ss5oy]

Wait. I thought the Lipton championship is basically the Miami open now ? I think venus lost her aura at 2002 Wimbledon. Her reaction to losing to Serena in that final was sullen AF. You could tell she was bothered by losing that one.

[@ChristiansCourt]

it is!

[@ChristiansCourt]

I also think Wimbledon 2002 was a considerable turning point. Vee was the two-time defending champion and was invincible at Wimbledon at that time until Serena came and dethroned her 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@jamesbutler3960]

Ugh…. I think Venus illness prevented her from progressing the way that she could have, which very well could have been THE GOAT! However, I can’t see Serena not accomplishing all that she did regardless of who stood in her way.

[@marfu1119]

Venus was unable to elevate her game due to her illness.

[@laf4891]

Loved your analysis. Thank you.

[@ChristiansCourt]

thank you for watching!

[@jordanwilliams1740]

15:41 one thing Serena is consistent in is rolling that ankle chilee😂😭

[@mariamarie862]

just looking at their games ,Serena could hide her serve better imo. her placement was phenomenal.

[@dariusbrock2351]

I enjoyed this thanks!

[@WickedRichie]

That must have been tough for a kid to hear. Your own father and couch publicly predicting your younger sister to be better than you.

[@ChristiansCourt]

that’s one thing i meant to mention… I wonder how Venus felt seeing Richard say that when they were younger?

[@imimbunjana6754]

@@ChristiansCourt He said it with so much graCe

[@sandychin1326]

I watch you and Andy Roddick’s Served! Love your shows!

[@EndoftheTownProductions]

The main reason is Serena's serve.

[@johnanderson8385]

serena had more variety...venus played the same in each match...saved you 30 min.

[@tonyndege8582]

Peak Venus groundstrokes were fire. I think a TAD better than Serena on very fast surfaces especially at net. What frustrated me about Venus, possibly my favorite women's player ever undoubtedly on grass, (just her movement during her peak years and I preferred the faster grass and US Open courts WAY more) was that her serve was consistent for a while but it would also be her pitfall. Like many times it would just breakdown. Serena has the greatest and most consistent women's serve of all time ESPECIALLY early then late in her career 2011-2016. (only Clijsters could clock it aside from Venus .. sometimes Henin) and Venus would have been up there and have won MANY more majors but her serve would break down and with it her entire game - mentally, shot selection, forehand, etc. Serena was smart to model her serve motion after Sampras. I wasn't a fan of Sampras' personality but he had to this day, I think the best serve of all time because he was so confident in his technique. No recent woman has quite captured Serenas' serve aura although Osaka was close. So was Barty for her size. Why (To be honest I think Osaka's total technical package at her peak was insane on hard court. Unfortunately she doesn't have the killer instinct) . There were a couple matches where Venus served close to men's level ( at the time) because she could really serve faster than Serena on grass when her mind and body were in sync. But that was only for a few matches (one where Sharapova was playing amazingly well and Venus still whooped her). I wish Venus would have been able to fix her technique on her serve mechanics a bit more and her toss and occasional perplexing under rotation a bit more and had confidence to serve and volley more. I think S&V would have actually helped her psychologically win more but it wasn't her personality and she hated getting passed. She would have won at least seven Wimbledons if not more (she won five and was in eight finals) and possibly a few more hard court majors. The other issue here is that they slowed down the grass tremendously after 2001 and I think the faster grass favored Venus with her incredible wingspan. Thank you for this analysis

[@sperrotta91]

Totally agree. I think Venus was the better grass court player.

[@haitungying7808]

Yes, I remember the Dad’s prediction at the time, that Serena would be more accomplished. Richard’s method of coaching his 2 girls was legendary, Using old airless tennis balls Not showcasing them in the junior circuits. Unorthodox indeed.

[@ITS_QUIS]

To be fair Venus suffers from an autoimmune disease which played a big part in

[@ChristiansCourt]

yes, i mentioned this early in the video!

[@mike04574]

video on roddick or nalbandian would be great

[@letoyajohnstone191]

You are amazing 💞

[@thesovgc]

Serena had far superior technique. Venus' strokes were wonky and subject to falling apart.

[@DelightfulSpaceExplorati-xj8eo]

Great deep dive...Serena..

[@Lewis-HM1]

Love ur channel. The one thing about all serenawilliams documentary HBO and espn frustrated to me. They didn't tell serenawilliams story stand up against Confederate flag refused to play north carolina tournament year 2000. Don't get me starting about IndianWells against Belgium player name kim clijsters year 2001story never told properly. Serenawilliams, venuswilliams and Richard Williams story need to be written,produced and directed by black person will be phenomenal unfortunately It doesn't happen like that. I know a lot of stuff they left out I know personally. God is willing I will make unauthorized documentary about the great richard Williams,serenawilliams and venuswilliams.

[@derrickpope6552]

Serena was never an after thought

[@thesovgc]

Please call out Richard's abusive behavior, such as hiding his wife's contraceptives. The way you weren't very firm about it sends the wrong message.

[@sperrotta91]

I think Venus at her peak was a better grass court player.

[@ShipleySpeaking]

Just finished watching episode 3 and it is even better than the first two imo. Bring your Kleenex!

[@ChristiansCourt]

it was so good 😭

[@theriac1148]

Venus became stronger because she plays with Serena all her life She’s unbelievable

[@MashuCashew]

This was a great video essay, vut it unfortunately failed to address the darkside of tennis: its steroid problem. The issue gets worse tho: because tennis isnt as popular as other mainstream sports, it's delendant on its playerbase. If half of them get DQ'd, you dont have a sport anymore.

[@temisanpopo8036]

are you related to mysticgotjokes?

[@DelightfulSpaceExplorati-xj8eo]

Venus William...

[@skevimavride9584]

The tennis ‘stars’ now cannot stand the pressure from media and too many outside jobs . Too many commitments not enough time on court. There will be no other lady players like the William sisters.

[@deusexmachina9776]

Serena and Venus as kids had no make up, cool hair, baggy clothes were they could be mistaken as boys. these days kids the same age are dressing like grown women.

[@megadethly]

Cool story bro...Venus's peak game was greater.

[@enfpchick]

Great video!

[@johnoneill7947]

Venus let Serena win the 2002 French Open final.

[@BookwormtoBookworm]

I don’t think it’s that deep. I think Richard was just being a dad and encouraging his children

[@ManuelGuzman067]

Rumors there Both Changes 😁

[@katsosekhute8737]

Chile,will there ever be a video of people appreciating both black woman and praising their skills withou putting one against each other😞

[@AUUA-p5v]

Actually no Venus is prolly the greatest tennis player of all time next to Serena she sick like not dying but she has a weak system that causes her to be weak not gain weight gain muscle etc etc Serena didn’t have that so I think that alone caused her to you know she was out there weak still dominating Every doubles match you see who was the captain Serena even knows Venus better What separates Serena is the goku mentality she want you at your best so she can compete she thrives off competition all her losses 195 fucking wins 35 losses she bet herself

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

How could the dad predict the sex of his children? He said he wanted 2 more daughters. What if he was given two more sons?

[@ChristiansCourt]

i have no idea… Richard was definitely an interesting character lol

[@marsjup964]

Venus has an illness but she keeps trying.

[@1mcshandy]

That commentary ( again Serena) got her wrong every time she watched her.