Venus Williams's most painful defeat

Fernando Murciego | 7 Sep 2024 | 14.00

Venus Williams and her most painful defeat at the US Open 1999. Source: Getty

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Until today—since Venus Williams is still active—Venus Williams has lost 278 matches in her individual career. If that seems like a lot to you, let me tell you that on the other side of the scale, there are 818 victories, so don’t worry, her balance sheet has been positive. The thing is, out of all those defeats, there was one different from the others, one that marked her in such a way that she retained the honor of being "the most painful" of her entire career. This is how the player herself recounts it through her Youtube channel, where she regularly shares these stories that help us understand the past a little better. Want to know more? Get comfortable because a story is coming.

We are at the 1999 US Open, one of the most famous stops on the calendar, the most important for American tennis players. Both Williams sisters are in the semifinals, but ahead of them lies the toughest test. Venus (19 years old, No.3) faces Martina Hingis, the current queen of the circuit and the woman in best form at the moment, while Serena (17 years old, No.6) will clash with Lindsay Davenport, who ranks just after the Swiss in the standings. Neither of the Williams sisters had yet managed to win a Grand Slam, while Hingis and Davenport are the last two champions in Flushing Meadows.

For Venus, it is her third participation in the Big Apple, where she confirms once again that her love affair with New York is love at first sight: finalist in 1997 (loses to Hingis), semifinalist in 1998 (loses to Davenport), and once again among the top four in 1999. Would the third time be the charm? Her credentials stated that she was still a 19-year-old girl, but an incredibly talented girl ahead of all the others. With several titles already in her luggage, a fully developed tennis game, and her name firmly placed in the world top 10, the only thing left for her to conquer was a Grand Slam. The bad news? To achieve that, she had to once again face Martina Hingis, whom she had only defeated three times out of the ten matches of their rivalry.

She had beaten her at illustrious venues like Sydney, Miami, or Rome, but the scenario changed when the match took place in a Grand Slam, where the Swiss unleashed forbidden moves and showed no mercy. As if the operation wasn't complex enough already, now her own sister joined the equation, threatening to overtake her on the left and even deprive her of being the best athlete in the family. Obviously, it was still too early to fear that potential reality, so their minds were only focused on the idea of a double victory that would allow them to multiply the Williams name in the final. Confidence was not lacking; they had already qualified for the doubles final, but in singles, it was about facing the danger alone.

Serena was the first to play, defeating Davenport in three sets, advancing to her first Grand Slam final and securing 50% of the plan. Hours later, it was Venus's turn against Hingis, two girls who shared age and also potential. The difference was that one already had three majors on her record, and the other still dreamed of the first one. It was indeed a great battle, very tight, a duel that began during the day and ended under artificial light. Martina took the first set, Venus responded in the second, and in the third, there was a back-and-forth of breaks. Who ended up falling short?

During the video, Venus reveals a private conversation she had with Serena the day before the semifinals. Knowing that the toughest challenges lay ahead, doubling shifts with the goal of staying alive in both draws, the elder Williams wondered how they would manage to deal with so much pressure. Serena's response was clear and concise: "Since you have to go out and play, why not compete?" Twenty-five years after that three-set defeat against Hingis (6-1, 4-6, 6-3), the Lynwood tennis player finds in those words the main reason for her defeat: "I failed to follow Serena's advice."

WHEN DEFEAT STARTS WITHIN YOU

Now that we know the outcome of the match, it's time to perform an autopsy on it. "The opportunity was huge for me, not only because I could have reached another Grand Slam final, but because all that expectation was building inside me; I felt ready to win a Grand Slam," comments the defeated player. "Besides, that final would have been with my sister, which I would have loved. I desired that victory so much, but I wasn't able to take the right steps to achieve it," confesses the American after examining that disappointment from a wiser perspective, that of the passage of time.

"My biggest mistake in that match was waiting for my opponent to make mistakes, waiting for victory to somehow come to me. What would have been right? Going for it, pursuing your goal, working with the right mindset. When one takes the right path, they usually end up reaching the finish line and obtaining what they deserve. Unfortunately for me, she deserved it more, because she really went all out for the win," acknowledges a Venus who would later win the doubles title with her sister, although that triumph did not heal the previous wound.

Martina Hingis and Serena Williams in the 1999 US Open final

"That night I ended up devastated, I was very disappointed with myself because I was convinced I could do better, but I didn't because I didn't choose the right path. My heart was broken... the good news is that Serena ended up winning that final in one of the most impressive matches she has ever played in her entire career. It was amazing to see her achieve that victory; it taught me a lot. Her victory helped me understand that I needed to put much more heart into my matches. Watching Serena helped me gain the final tool I needed to win a Grand Slam," emphasizes the veteran champion.

The elder of the Williams sisters doesn't lie when she states that this defeat forever changed her relationship with tennis, thanks in part to everything it taught her. Venus began stepping onto the court with a cannibalistic mindset, always sharp, firm in her convictions even if the results didn't come. "That was a very painful defeat for me, but it was also my greatest lesson after hitting rock bottom. I was already in the top 10, had reached the final rounds of major tournaments, but what I truly dreamed of was to be a Grand Slam champion... and several times! I learned that I needed to give more, that I was obliged to take responsibility for every victory if I wanted to lift the important trophies. A year later, I won my first Wimbledon and my first US Open, but I would not have been able to do it without first seeing Serena showing me the way." Such beautiful words and what a beautiful gift her sister gave her.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La derrota más dolorosa de Venus Williams