### Serena and Venus Williams’ French Open Breakthrough Sparks Feud with Tennis ‘Spice Girls’
Venus and Serena Williams electrified the tennis world both individually and as a formidable doubles team. Venus, the elder sister, claimed seven Grand Slam singles titles, including five at Wimbledon, while Serena amassed 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era and the second-most of all time.
Together, the Williams sisters were virtually unbeatable in doubles, securing 14 major women’s doubles titles without a single loss in major finals. Their victories included four Australian Opens, two French Opens, six Wimbledons, and two US Opens. They also achieved a non-calendar year Grand Slam between Wimbledon 2009 and the 2010 French Open, and won three Olympic gold medals in 2000, 2008, and 2012.
Their doubles dominance began at the 1999 French Open, where they clinched their first Grand Slam doubles title together. In the final, they faced Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova, who had dubbed themselves the ‘Spice Girls of tennis.’ Hingis, the world No. 1 in singles and a prodigious talent, had already won multiple Grand Slam titles by that time. Hingis and Kournikova, the No. 2-seeded team, had won the Australian Open doubles title earlier that year.
The Williams sisters, seeded No. 9, triumphed in a dramatic final that was disrupted by rain delays and strong winds, ultimately winning 6-3, 6-7 (2), 8-6. Venus later recounted the intense match on Instagram, describing how overconfidence almost cost them the title, but they persevered to win their first of 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.
The rivalry with Hingis continued to simmer throughout 1999. Before the US Open, a feud erupted after Richard Williams, Venus and Serena’s father, predicted that his daughters would meet in the final. Hingis, unimpressed by the prediction, responded dismissively, which led to a sharp retort from Serena about Hingis’ lack of formal education. The tension culminated in the US Open final, where Serena defeated Hingis 6–3, 7–6 (4), securing her first major singles title. Serena would go on to win the US Open five more times, while Hingis never won another major.
At the French Open, Serena went on to win three singles titles in 2002, 2013, and 2015. The Williams sisters also captured their second Roland Garros doubles title in 2010, defeating Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik 6–2, 6–3.
This breakthrough at the 1999 French Open not only marked the beginning of the Williams sisters’ unparalleled doubles success but also ignited a bitter rivalry with the so-called ‘Spice Girls of tennis.’
