Williams sisters' showdown at US Open: Don't take it for granted

You might have heard the news that Venus and Serena Williams will play each other Friday night in the third round of the US Open, a continuation of a 20-year rivalry that has long been the most fascinating in all of sports. It’s the 16th time they will have met in a Grand Slam event and the 30th time they will have faced each other overall.

I’m one of those people who thinks Serena will win, believes it’s fine if Venus does and mostly just wants to see an intense, well-played tennis match.

But there’s a bigger, overriding thought that hangs over their match:

Don’t let it be their last.

Venus is 38; Serena turns 37 Sept. 26. In tennis years, that’s pretty old. They’ve both dealt with injuries and illness. They also lead full lives with loads of attractive opportunities off the court, so at this stage of their careers, every time they meet, you can’t help but wonder if it’s the last time.

In Grand Slam events, Williams sisters matches tend to be relatively few and far between. The last time they met in a Grand Slam tournament was the final of the 2017 Australian Open, which Serena won in two sets. Before that, it was the quarterfinals of the 2015 US Open, which Serena won in three sets.

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They also met at Wimbledon that year (also a Serena victory, in the round of 16), but, beyond that, you have to go all the way back to Wimbledon 2009 to find a Grand Slam match between the two (Serena’s win in the final).

So who’s to say we’ll ever see this remarkable rivalry play out again in a major tournament?

Early on, we took all this for granted, not realizing the magnitude of their talent and the significance of their historic and legendary careers. Remember all the unsubstantiated, nasty talk that one sister was throwing the match to the other? That their father Richard was orchestrating the whole thing?

How ridiculous that sounds today, now that we know Serena is the greatest of all time, with Venus not that far behind. Who’s to say Venus wouldn’t be the best ever if she hadn't had a younger sister? At the most competitive time in the history of women’s sports, Serena has won 23 Grand Slam titles, the most by any player in the Open era, and Venus has won seven. It’s breathtaking.

Venus and Serena Williams prior to the quarterfinals of the 1998 Italian Open

Serena and Venus Williams in 1997 at the Eastbourne fro the Direct Line Ladies Tennis Championships

Serena and Venus Williams playing in the 1999 Evert Cup

Venus Williams is congratulated by sister Serena after she won the 1999 Lipton Tennis Championships

Venus and Serena Williams have a laugh during the 1999 French Open

Venus Williams (rt) hugs her sister Serena after winning the doubles title at the 1999 U.S. Open

Venus and Serena Williams talk during the 1999 Fed Cup

Venus and Serena Williams shown at the 1999 U.S. Open

Venus Williams, left, reaches to shake the hand of her sister, Serena, after Venus won their semifinal match at Wimbledon in 2000

Venus Williams is hugged by her father Richard, as sister Serena looks on after Venus won the 2000 singles title at Wimbledon

Serena and Venus Williams attend the 2001 Essence Awards with their mother Oracene

Serena and Venus Williams talk during their doubles match at the 2000 Wimbledon tournament

Serena and Venus Williams embrace during their doubles match at the 2000 U.S. Open

Serena and Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2000

Serena and Venus Williams celebrate their gold medal win at the 2000 Olympics

Venus Williams defeated sister Serena at the 2001 U.S. Open for a another major title

Serena and Venus Williams at the 2002 Tennis Master Series

Serena and Venus Williams pose for photo while displaying their Miami Dolphins jerseys after it was announced the tennis stars had become minority owners of the NFL football team in 2009

Serena and Venus Williams at the 2002 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards

Serena and Venus Williams compete at point at the 2010 Australian Open

Venus and Serena Williams at the 2003 NAACP Image Awards

Venus and Serena Williams celebrate winning the 2012 Olympic gold medal

Venus and Serena Williams at a party for the 2012 Wimbledon tournament

Serena and Venus Williams playing table tennis in Melbourne in 2013

Serena and Venus Williams during a doubles match at the 2013 Australian Open

Serena and Venus Williams touch hands during their doubles match in the 2013 Australian Open

Serena, left, and Venus hug after Venus won a match between the sisters at the Davis Cup in 2014.

Venus and Serena Williams during the match against

Venus and Serena discuss strategy while playing Ekaterina

MIAMI BEACH, FL - DECEMBER 14: Serena Williams and

The Williams sisters gesture before the start of the

Serena and Venus hug at the net after their match on

Serena Williams, left, waves to the crowd as she walks

Serena (left) and Venus Williams posing for a photograph

Serena Williams (right) poses with her trophy after

Team USA (from left) CoCo Vandeweghe, coach Lisa Raymond,

Serena Williams and Venus Williams talk with the gold

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But with Venus and Serena, it’s not just about the tennis. They are endlessly interesting: what they say, what they do, how they live. Listen to what they were saying about Friday’s match.

“Normally I say cheer for me, but I say cheer for who you want, me or Venus,” Serena said with a laugh after her second-round match. “I never root against her, no matter what. So I think that's the toughest part for me: When you always want someone to win, to have to beat them. I know the same thing is for her. When she beats me, she always roots for me as well.”

This has been going on for quite a while, since the first time the sisters played each other professionally, in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open, which Venus won. The last time they played was not in a Grand Slam event but in the third round at Indian Wells this past March, when Serena was coming back after giving birth six months earlier and Venus won in two sets.

Serena was pregnant the last time they faced each other in a Grand Slam tournament, the 2017 Australian Open final.

Venus remembers it well.

“The last time we played the Australian it was two against one,” she said with a smile, noting that she was one of the few people at the time to know Serena was pregnant.

“At least this time it’s going to (be) fair.”

How much fun is this? If only it could go on forever.