Sister Sister

My twin brother and I have been competitive since we were younger. It didn’t matter what sport we played either. The intensity of our rivalry crossed all boundaries, including Nitendo/Sega/Playstation, basketball in the driveway, hockey with the neighborhood kids, football on our front lawn, poker, and any game we could play. But every time we faced off it was all in good fun. We never had to play against one another on a stage bigger than our driveway or with an audience that was bigger than our group of neighborhood friends.

So imagine how Serena and Venus felt at Wimbledon? It wasn’t the first time they’ve faced off in a championship set. But even so, I can guarantee that it hasn’t gotten any easier.

According to ESPN, “the meetings between Venus and Serena now stand at 8-8 with Serena leading 5-2 in Grand Slam final outings. And while Venus tried to contain her joy in victory so as to not rub it into Serena’s face, Serena did not hesitate to hide her frustration in failure.”

Frustration? Man. If that would have been me, I would have probably thrown the tennis racket at my brother even before the match was over. For these sisters, it’s a completely different ballgame. They have to be professional. They have to be good sports. They have to contend with a sibling rivalry that is beyond anything we everyday people have ever experienced.

And they have to do it time and time again because they both are that good.

This time, Venus came out on top. Next time, who knows?

As for the men’s match, it was Nadal vs. Federer in a showdown for the ages. Here’s how it ended.