Dressed in their tennis whites, their hair braided with white and pink beads, 12-year-old Venus and 11-year-old Serena Williams smile broadly, sometimes stifling giggles, during a 1992 interview with Trans World Sport. Serena is quick to answer the questions first and Venus always lets her.
"Veterinarian," Serena says without hesitation when asked what else she would like to be when she grows up (besides the obvious). "I think I'd like to be an archaeologist," says Venus, a little more tentatively.
By 1992, the sisters' talent in the tennis world was already making waves. Venus had played 63 junior tournaments and won all of them, while Serena had won 50 of her 52 competitions. During the interview, their father, Richard Williams, speaks frankly about the girls' potential. "[Venus] has every quality to be a champion," he says, "and she will be."
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And while it is Venus who had the early edge, it's Serena he sees as the star. "She's like a pit-bull dog," he says. "Once she gets a hold of you she won't let go. She's so strong," he says. "Serena will probably be a better player than Venus. That's not to compare my girls, but she will be."
The sisters face each other for the 26th time in their careers tonight in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. Serena is ranked No. 1 in the world to Venus' 23. And while Venus comes into tonight's match having dominated her last two, it is, just as Dad predicted 23 years ago, Serena who is favored to win. If she does, she'll be one step closer to becoming the first person since 1988 to win all four Opens in a calendar year. The match starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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