Serena Williams Reflects on Her ‘Codependent’ Relationship With Sister Venus
Serena and Venus Williams are close as sisters. They’ve grown up together and been in the spotlight since they were kids, thanks to their athletic talents on the tennis court. Their relationship hasn’t changed over the years either. Even with Serena starting her own family with Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian in 2017, the women are as bonded as ever.
“Sisters are so special,” declared Serena to Glamour magazine while noting that she’s “still codependent” on Venus. While that may sound unhealthy to outsiders, the 43-year-old athlete continually leans into the idea. “Some things never change,” she said. “I don’t even want to not be codependent with her. I love her. I don’t want our lives to ever be separate.” Ohanian knew when he married Serena that Venus was a part of the package.
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Their loving sibling relationship came from years of “lonely” life on the road as tennis stars. “You’re on the road for 10 or 11 months out of the year,” Serena added. “You really rely on having someone else out there. And Venus was there, and who else was going to relate to me? We were successful, and we were Black. We leaned on each other.” The women even lived with each other “until a year before [Serena] had Olympia.”
Venus, 44, also echoed her sister’s sentiments about their close relationship in a Sept. 9 Harper’s Bazaar U.K. profile. “There’s no place like home,” Venus shared with the magazine. “We hang out all the time. The distance doesn’t really exist.” And instead of talking tennis all of the time, Venus noted, “We just gossip. We’ve both been on a very stringent eating program recently, so we’re supporting each other with that.”
Serena and Venus were raised by their parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, and are both considered to be GOATs in the sport of tennis — the greatest of all time. Along with their natural talent, they were given the tools to become superstars on and off the court, but Serena believes her sister is also a big part of her successful career. “I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus,” Serena said after her retirement match in 2022 at the U.S. Open, via People. “She’s the only reason Serena Williams ever existed.”
Serena and Venus are each other’s forever besties.
Before you go, click here to see celebrities who are best friends with their siblings.
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