Serena, Venus Williams only women to defend Wimbledon title since 2000

Serena Williams and Venus Williams are the only two women who have successfully defended the women’s singles title at Wimbledon.

The quarterfinals of this year’s edition of the grasscourt Major saw last year’s champion and third seed Elena Rybakina bow out after Ons Jabeur came back from a set down to beat her 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1.

The Kazakh’s elimination means that the Williams sisters are the only women who have defended their singles titles at SW 19 since 2000.

Venus Williams won her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2000 edition of the grasscourt Major and successfully defended it the following year by beating Justine Henin in the final.Her second successful title defense came in 2008 when she triumphed over her sister Serena Williams in the final.

That year, she did not drop a single set en route to her fifth triumph in London.Meanwhile, Serena Williams’ first title at Wimbledon came in 2002 and she successfully defended it in 2003 by beating her sister Venus Williams in the final.

Serena’s third title at the grasscourt Major came in 2009 when she once again defeated her sister in the final. It was followed by another successful title defense in 2010 when she got the better of Vera Zvonareva in the final.Serena Williams’ third successful title defense at Wimbledon came in 2016 when she beat Angelique Kerber in the final. This was the American’s seventh and final triumph at the London Major.

Serena Williams and Venus Williams are two of the most successful players in Wimbledon history with a total of 12 singles titles between them. The former has won the tournament seven times while Venus has emerged victorious on five occasions.

The two locked horns in four Wimbledon finals, with Serena Williams triumphing thrice while Venus Williams beat her sister in 2008. The duo was also successful in the women’s doubles event at the grasscourt Major, winning six titles from 2000-2016.Serena Williams, now retired, last appeared at Wimbledon in 2022 and suffered a 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(7) defeat at the hands of Harmony Tan in the first round.

Venus Williams, meanwhile, is still active at the age of 43. She competed at this year’s edition at the grasscourt Major, losing 6-4, 6-3 to eventual semifinalist Elina Svitolina in the first round