A Golden Era For Ladies Tennis: Life After The Williams Sisters

In the years to come people will look back to the turn of the millennium and realise how special the current era in tennis has been. But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. In Roger Federer and the Williams sisters we’ve been lucky enough to witness first-hand some of the finest players ever to hold a racket, and their record of achievements stand far and above most others in the sport’s history.

Serena Williams in particular, does not appear to get the credit she deserves. It may surprise many to know that she has won more grand slam titles than Federer (21-17), and that’s without counting the many doubles titles the Williams sisters have won together. And while Federer hasn’t won a grand slam since Wimbledon 2012, Serena won three titles last season, remains world number one and will probably be favourite to take all four this year.

Comparisons with the men’s game aside, the Williams sisters’ longevity is unprecedented in tennis. Serena won her first grand slam in 1999, while her older sister Venus has been winning titles and making finals since 1997. In truth, these two sisters have changed the face of women’s tennis forever. Their hunger, motivation, will to win and sheer athleticism have caused many to take the women’s game more seriously, and it’s fair to say that they are almost single-handedly responsible for the respected status of women’s tennis today.

Between them the Williams sisters have also helped give women’s issues greater publicity, including the fight for fair prize money and supporting campaigns against negative body image.

So what does life in women’s tennis look like after the reign of the mighty Williams sisters ends for good? Well, let’s just say first of all that Serena in particular doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon. But, at 35, she’s definitely in the twilight of her career. Luckily, the women’s game is nowhere near as dependent on its top seeds as the men’s when it comes to producing excitement. Typically the latter stages of grand slams are contested with a variety of different players, so the underlying competitiveness doesn’t look to be at threat.

But who then will take up the mantle, and carry the sport forward in the same way that the Williams sisters have? First of all, young British pair Laura Robson and Heather Watson look as likely as any, which is fantastic news for a country crying out for a women’s equivalent of Andy Murray. Around the world though, eyes will be on Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard, who famously made the Wimbledon final in 2015 and has recently been voted as the world’s most marketable sports star.