The relationship between siblings is almost an unbreakable one. No matter what, you will be connected with them for an entire life – and these types of bonds should be celebrated! Thanks to #NationalSiblingsDay everyone gets a chance to do just that on social media.
As the saying goes, ‘blood is thicker than water!’
Here’s a look at some of the most iconic siblings in women’s tennis:
The Williams Sisters: Legends of the sport
Not enough could be said about Serena and Venus Williams. They both have had their fair share of success individually and as teammates. When paired together, the two are absolutely unstoppable. They have captured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles (going undefeated in all 14 of those finals!), as well as three gold medals on the Olympic stage.
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Serena, the all-time Grand Slam leader, owns their head-to-head 18-12 over Venus. But even with the intensity that one-on-one competition brings out, family always comes first for the Williams’.
According to E! News, Venus said Serena and her “motivate each other,” while adding “as a sister, when they’re doing something it’s your own success too.”
The Pliskova Twins: A twin study
The bond between twins has always been a topic of scientific interest. In the case of World No. 3 Karolina and sister Kristyna Pliskova it’s no different. The two are very close and understand how rare there circumstance is in sports.
Karolina said to wtatennis.com about her bond with Kristyna: “I think it’s very special – there are not many sisters on the tour. It’s good to have somebody you can talk to. Thank God we have phones so we can talk every day. We talk pretty much always.”
Happy birthday, @KaPliskova and @krispliskova!
🎂 🎂 🎂 pic.twitter.com/YCP32RtmUN
— wta (@WTA) March 21, 2019
Only separated at birth by two minutes, the 27 year olds are pretty much inseparable. Can the left-handed Kristyna catch up with her right-handed twin in the rankings? Currently ranked 101, but was as high as 35 in 2017.
Naomi Osaka & Mari Osaka: Unconditional support
The current World No. 1 Naomi Osaka is one of the biggest stories in tennis so far, especially since signing with Nike recently, while older sister Mari is still trying to make her way up the WTA rankings. Nevertheless, the two share a very special bond.
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Sometimes it’s tough for siblings not to compare themselves at times, but Mari is happy her sister is having so much success!
“The one word that comes to my mind is, like, ‘amazing,’ that she’s doing so amazing,” explained the eldest Osaka at the Miami Open. “It’s almost our dreams coming true that we have been working for our whole life. I’m really proud of her.”
The Chans: Doubles trouble
Chan Hao-Ching and Latisha Chan are fairly established doubles players who have been successful in past years as well. The sisters have made the semi-finals in the last three tournaments (Miami Open, BNP Paribas Open and Dubai Tennis Championships) while also claiming the trophy at the Qatar Open in February.
The sibling relationship can be difficult and strenuous at times especially in a sport setting. Even though the pair won 12 titles together, they separated in 2017.
Latisha explained why it happened to wtatennis.com. “I mean… to be honest, playing with your sibling is not that easy at the beginning,” the 29 year old explained. “Also, we started when we were pretty young, and when you’re not that mature, it’s tough.”
Now, they are reunited and it feels so good!
The Maleeva Family: The original
A trio of sisters from Bulgaria, Manuela, Katerina and Magdalena Maleeva all found success during their professional careers, which spanned from 1982 to 2005. In fact, they all managed to be ranked in the Top Ten numerous times in their careers!
Wow.
They each recorded a winning percentage of over 60 per cent and combined to claim 40 WTA single titles. What’s even more insane is all three were coached by their mother, Yuliya Berberyan.
One can only imagine the competitive environment at the Maleeva household when they were kids!
