Serena Williams of the U.S. competes in a women's singles match against Garbine Muguruza of Spain at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris May 28, 2014.
Serena Williams of the U.S. competes in a women's singles match against Garbine Muguruza of Spain at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris May 28, 2014. REUTERS

One of the greatest sibling rivalries in sports, Serena Williams and Venus Williams, have been competitive since the early days of their childhood.

On Aug. 9, Serena and Venus faced each other in the semi-finals of the 2014 Rogers Cup. It was the siblings' 25th meeting on the tennis court. Serena lost to Venus in two out of three sets with a final score of 6-7, 62, 6-3, but the top-ranked female athlete in the world was gracious in her defeat and didn't play out any domestic drama on the field. She even tweeted that her older sister Venus has just taught her a lesson.

Big sister taught little sister a lesson...

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) August 9, 2014

Serena admitted that she made too many mistakes. "When I make so many mistakes, it is impossible to win against her," Serena was quoted saying via The Guardian.

Venus, on the other hand, said that playing against younger sister Serena always presented a challenge for her. "We both know when we walk out there that you're not guaranteed a win," said Venus. "That's what makes it challenging for both of us. Venus has stated that Serena is still the player to beat on the current tour. No other athlete can secure a victory against Serena without playing the "match of your life."

Venus has said via a news report on the New York Times that 'it takes a lot of courage and guts' to play against the top female tennis athlete in the world. Venus might have felt the pressure but for Serena, 'it was a good 'ol regular tennis match."

Rivalry on Court

The Williams sisters have squared off 25 times now, with Serena leading their head-to-head stats. Their head-to-head record is 14-11 in favour of the younger Williams. The sisters' first meeting was dated all the way back in 2000 at the Wimbledon Championships. They played each other only once in 2013 at the World Tennis Association (WTA) event at Charleston, U.S.

According to reports, Serena holds the most number of singles titles won with 61, while Venus has 45. Even though the rivalry between Serena and Venus has long been recognised, they maintain a very close relationship. They have won 13 double titles in Grand Slam events and three gold medals in the Olympic Games.

Current Rankings

Both Serena and Venus have claimed the top spot in the world rankings. Venus first claimed the top spot in February 2002. She ranks at the 20th place at present time. Serena, on the other hand, ranked first for the first in July 2002 and currently holds the spot, becoming the oldest top-ranked athlete in the history of WTA.