Sisters' Showdown: The Glory and Dilemma of Tennis Sisters

In April 2025, the first round of the WTA Stuttgart Open staged a high-profile "sisterhood" - Russia's Andreeva sisters faced each other across the net. Her sister Erica was the lucky loser to replace the retired contestants, and eventually withdrew from the competition due to injury, and her sister Mira successfully advanced. This matchup once again brought the special phenomenon of tennis sisters into the spotlight. From the Williams sisters, the Radwanska sisters to the Pliskova sisters, there is no shortage of stories in the history of tennis where sisters have shared the stage, but with the exception of the legendary duo of Serena Williams, the results of the other sisters are often quite different. Behind this phenomenon, it reflects the contradiction between the cruel competition of professional tennis and the distribution of family resources.

Tennis sisters' matchups are often full of drama. Before Stuttgart, the Andreeva sisters had played each other at Wuhan 2024, where they upset their higher-ranked sisters. The Williams sisters have seen a similar scene throughout their careers: the pair have met in nine Grand Slam finals, and in 2002 and 2003 they staged four consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, setting a record in tennis. However, behind the warmth of the sisters' duel is the cruel logic of competition.

The achievements of Williams can be called the pinnacle of tennis sisters. The duo have won a total of 30 Grand Slam singles titles (23 for Serena Williams and 7 for Williams) and have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together. Their dominance stems from the systematic training program of their father, Richard Williams, and the mutual motivation between the sisters. For example, Serena Williams' feat of "double championships in one day" in the 2012 Wimbledon singles and doubles is inseparable from Williams' support.

But other tennis sisters are not so lucky, like Radwanska, whose sister A. Radwanska was ranked second in the world, while her sister Ursula was ranked 29th at the highest ranking. The gap between the two careers stems from the difference in talent and physical condition, A. Radwanska has become a top fighter with her delicate tactics and stable mental quality, while her sister is limited by a lack of strength and is difficult to break through.

Similarly, there are the Pliskova sisters: the gap between twin sisters Christina and Karolina is even more significant. Carolina has topped the world number one and won two Grand Slam runners-up, while Cristina peaked at 35th. The two men have similar technical styles, but Carolina's serve power and key point grasp are superior.

Others are the Naomi Osaka sisters, who have four Grand Slam titles and a world No. 1 ranking, while her sister Mari Osaka retired soon after a hundred years away, a testament to the importance of talent.

In most tennis families, financial and training resources tend to be skewed towards children with more potential. The Williams sisters' success was due to their father's early dedication to the training of the two, while other families may have had uneven development due to the spread of resources. For example, while the Pliskova sisters were both professionally trained, Karolina showed her competitive temperament earlier, which allowed her to compete more often. Competition between sisters can be a potential or a psychological burden. Williams turns competition into motivation through a "sense of family pride", while the Radwanska sisters keep their sister in the shadow for a long time because of their brilliant achievements. Although Naomi Osaka has no competition between sisters now, when she faces the impact of the new generation of players after her comeback, she admits that "regaining lost ground" needs to overcome both mental and physical challenges.

The intensive schedule of professional tennis is extremely physically demanding. Williams has been out of action several times due to autoimmune diseases, while Williams has failed to reach the Grand Slam four times since his postpartum comeback, highlighting the constraints that age and injuries have on his career. Among the Andreeva sisters, Erica's frequent injuries have directly limited her rise in the rankings. The Williams sisters' success is the result of their father's original "grassroots training method" – honing their skills in unconventional ways on ghetto pitches – and this experience of growing up in the face of adversity has shaped their resilience. In contrast, the other sisters often rely on standardized training systems and lack personalized breakthroughs.

Although most sister groups struggle to replicate the brilliance of Williams, their presence enriches the narrative dimension of tennis. For example, the Andreeva sisters' "prize money split" agreement after the Wuhan game showed a rare warmth in competitive sports. The comeback of "mom players" such as Naomi Osaka reveals the dilemma of female athletes balancing career and family. In the future, with the popularization of scientific training and psychological counseling, there may be more sisters who will break through the curse of "one person is the only one", but the legendary status of Dawei will still become an eternal benchmark in the tennis world because of its irreproducible background and personal characteristics.

The fate of the tennis sisters is intertwined with glory and regret, and their competition and cooperation, support and pressure constitute the unique cultural landscape of this sport. From the Andreeva sisters in Stuttgart to the Williams family at Wimbledon, these stories are not just about tennis, but also about family, dreams and times.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Xiaodi)