“Serena Williams was so pissed”, “Venus Williams destroyed that unfit mother” – Fans recall Williams sisters' clash in 2018 Indian Wells 3R

Tennis fans on the internet recently recalled Venus Williams taking down her younger sister Serena Williams at Indian Wells 2018.

Venus and Serena clashed for a spot in the fourth round of the Indian Wells 2018. Notably, this was Serena's comeback tournament after a 14-month-long pregnancy break. She welcomed her first daughter Olympia with her husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian on September 1, 2017.

Serena entered the match on the back of two impressive wins, over Zarina Diyas and Kiki Bertens. Venus, meanwhile, had downed Sorana Cirstea after receiving a bye in the opening round.

Venus Williams secured the opening set against Serena in a straightforward manner, with a solitary break of her sister's serve in the sixth game. The following set, however, witnessed some drama as Serena Williams fought hard to stay in the match.

The second set had five breaks of serves, with three of them in favor of the seven-time Grand Slam champion. She closed the set and match out 6-3, 6-4, after one and half hours of play.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) recollected their memories of the match ahead of the Indian Wells Open 2024.

"Serena was so pissed after this match," a fan wrote.

"Veesus DESTROYED that unfit mother," wrote another.

"Vee came to ball this day. The forehand and serve were oiled," wrote a third one.

Venus survived the tournament until she lost 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 to Daria Kasatkina in the semifinals.

Here are a few more reactions from X:

---

"My little sister Serena Williams told me I am not allowed to quit" - Venus Williams set to participate in Indian Wells 2024

Serena Williams (L) and Venus Williams

While Serena Williams drew curtains on her storied career in September 2022, her elder sister Venus Williams continues to be active on the courts. Venus is set to play at the Indian Wells Open 2024, beginning on March 6, as a wildcard.

In a video message recently, Venus said:

"One of my big goals is to play United States, to play in Miami Open and the Indian Wells. I have not played there since 2019 due to injuries. It's a long time."

Venus, 43, added that she is still active largely because of her younger sister Serena Williams' firm support:

"My little sister Serena told me I am not allowed to quit and of course I would never quit. But it's the mandate, she said no. So I will be back on the court."

The Williams sisters shared an intense rivalry on the court. Serena eventually edged ahead, and their final head-to-head tally stands at 19-12 in her favor.