SUMMARY
- Venus Williams is one of the best players to ever grace the tennis courts.
- However, Steffi Graff is her father's, Richard Williams', favorite player.
Venus Williams is one of the biggest tennis stars of all time. The American player is considered an icon of the sport, thanks to her prolific exploits on the court. Venus is a decorated player who owes much of her success to her father, Richard Williams. However, in a strange twist, Venus is not even Richard’s favorite player, and no, it is not her sister, Serena Williams, either.
Richard played an instrumental role in his daughters’ lives. He raised two daughters, who went on to become two of the most influential black tennis players ever. But if Venus was not his favorite player, then who was it?
The Williams patriarch’s favorite was none other than another legend, Steffi Graff. Steffi is also widely considered to be among the best players of her time. Not only was she a skilled athlete, but she also won hearts with her charm. Graf won 22 Grand Slam titles until she retired, making her one of the most successful players of all time.
Stefi and Venus locked horns at the Lipton Championships (now known as the Miami Open) in Key Biscayne, Florida, in 1999. Williams went on to defeat Graf 6-2, 6-4. Following the match, Richard dropped the surprising revelation about Steffi being his favorite. His reason was quite simple.
“Actually, Steffi Graf is my favorite player on the Tour, and Venus and Serena would be my second and third. I admire Steffi Graf more than any player. The reason I admire Steffi Graf so much, when other players was not there, Steffi Graf was there,” he said (via TennisUpToDate).
Steffi carried the WTA Tour on her shoulder for years and quickly became the darling of the public. Venus Williams and Graf locked horns a few times, and each of them became a legend in their own right.
How does Venus Williams compare against Steffi Graff?
Both Venus and Steffi are phenomenal players who influenced a new generation of players. However, between the two of them, Graf leads the title race.
Before Steffi retired, she won a whopping 22 Grand Slams, just one shy of Serena’s record of 23 major titles. In comparison, Venus has won only seven majors. Graf can also boast of winning each major at least four times in her career.
Additionally, Steffi is also the only player to have won the Golden Slam in 1988. This means, in addition to winning all four majors, Steffi won gold at the Olympics that year. Williams is also a gold medalist; in fact, she has four gold medals in both singles and doubles categories.
Regardless of the number of titles won, both Steffi Graff and Venus Williams are among the greatest players in the sport. Steffi retired in 1999, whereas Williams is still an active player. She will be playing at Indian Wells next.