Serena Williams shares childhood anecdote about her and Venus Williams (Image Source: Getty)

Serena Williams once shed light on her favorite childhood memory, which involved her sister Venus Williams and half-sister Lyndrea. The American also shed light on the set roles they played while pretending to be part of a fairytale.

Venus and Serena Williams grew up in Compton, California with their father Richard Williams and mother Oracene Price. They were raised alongside their three half-sisters, Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha, who were Price’s kids from a previous marriage.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated before her campaign at the 2013 Italian Open, Serena Williams described playing with her sisters as her most treasured childhood memory. The American admitted that she always claimed the princess role due to her “girly” nature, while Venus Williams played the part of the wizard, and Lyndrea took on the evil villain character.

“Playing with my sisters. I’m really girly so I always had to be the princess. I was the princess, Venus was the wizard and Lyn was like the evil person. She was the villain. But I always had to be the good guy,” she said.

Williams also disclosed that she was feeling “calm,” as she aimed to win her second Italian Open title. She produced a dominant run at the tournament, claiming a 6-1, 6-3 win over Victoria Azarenka in the final to clinch the title without dropping a set.

Serena Williams: “I grew up with girls, I’d honestly never been around boys unless I was dating one”

Serena Williams, Venus Williams and their half-sister Isha Price – Source: Getty

In 2017, Serena Williams tied the knot with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and gave birth to their firstborn daughter Olympia. The couple welcomed their second daughter Adira River in 2023.

The former World No. 1 was overjoyed to have two daughters, recounting how special her own bond with her sisters was growing up. In a 2024 interview with Glamour, Williams spoke about how much she loved her “codependent” bond with Venus Williams.

“I mean, I grew up with girls. I’d honestly never been around boys unless I was dating one. And sisters are so special. Some things never change. I don’t even want to not be codependent with her [Venus Williams]. I love her. I don’t want our lives to ever be separate,” Williams said.

Serena also shared that having Venus by her side kept her from feeling lonely on tour since they had each other to rely on. Their childhood coach Rick Macci also described the sisters as “two peas in a pod.”