"Wasn’t like going up against Martina Hingis, Maria Sharapova": When Venus & Serena Williams' ex-coach revealed why their rivalry wasn't 'must-see TV'

Venus and Serena Williams' childhood coach, Rick Macci, once explained why the sisters' matches against one another paled in comparison to the riveting nature of their encounters with other rivals. Macci expressed his belief that the Williams sisters' mindset played a role in their perceived lackluster matchup.

The Williams sisters established a longstanding rivalry on tour by squaring off against each other in 31 tour-level encounters, with Serena enjoying a 19-12 lead in their head-to-head record. However, their battles weren't considered to be compelling in nature, as the majority of their meetings ended in straight-set victories.

In a 2022 interview with Tennis.com, Rick Macci asserted that Venus and Serena Williams' matches weren't usually "must-see TV" because both sisters lacked the killer instinct when facing one another. He contrasted this with their ferocity when playing against the likes of Martina Hingis or Maria Sharapova, whom they wanted to destroy on the court.

"The reason none of those matches was must-see TV is only because neither Venus nor Serena could go for the jugular. It wasn’t like going up against a Hingis, or a Sharapova, where they just wanted to terminate," Macci said.

Macci also suggested that Venus never "accepted" that Serena was a better player than her or took the back seat willingly. Furthermore, he pointed out that the seven-time Grand Slam champion had the best winning record against her sister and argued that Venus may have won 30 Majors if she didn't have to compete against Serena.

"Venus is not wired to take the back seat. I just think Serena put her foot on the gas and never looked back. I don’t think Venus "accepted" anything, it just may have come across that way because of the sister dynamic,"

"But remember, nobody beat Serena more than Venus did (Serena won their head to-head series 19–12). If there were no Serena, we might be sitting here talking about Venus and her 30 Grand Slam titles," he added.

Despite the questions raised over whether their rivalry was thrilling enough, Serena Williams has always maintained that her sister Venus Williams was her toughest opponent.

Serena Williams: "I hate playing Venus Williams, she's the toughest opponent I've ever faced"

Venus and Serena Williams - Source: Getty

In a 2016 interview with Self, Serena Williams admitted that she "hated" facing Venus Williams on the court because she was her most formidable opponent. The 23-time Grand Slam champion opened about looking up to her sister and credited her for setting the best example.

"Venus is the best. I look up to her, and I always wonder, if I was the older sister, would I have set the good example that she set for me? I hate playing Venus. She's the toughest opponent I've ever faced," Serena Williams said.

Speaking to the press before their clash at the 2018 US Open, Serena also pointed out how she and Venus pushed one another to display their best tennis.

"I mean, like I said, the best part is we bring out the best in each other. I know when I play her, I have to play some of my best tennis. She does, too. It propels us to continue to play that for the tournament," she said.

Serena Williams claimed a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Venus Williams in the third round of the New York Major, which ended up being their last Grand Slam encounter.