A lot can be said about the individual careers of Venus Williams and younger sister Serena Williams. Both sisters have participated in numerous rivalries over the years, but none as exciting as when they face each other.

The Williams sisters have faced each other 30 times in professional tournaments, with Serena leading their head-to-head 18-12. They are set to clash for a 31st time in the round of 16 at the inaugural Top Seed Open.

Their first encounter occurred at the 1998 Australian Open, with Venus prevailing 7-6(4) 6-1. She would go on to win the next two matches, before Serena finally broke through at the 1999 Grand Slam Cup final. The duo became the only women during the Open Era to play each other in four consecutive Grand Slam finals. This streak happened between the 2002 French Open and the 2003 Australian Open, with Serena winning all four matches.

Venus and Serena have faced each other 15 times in Grand Slam singles, with nine of them being finals. Serena has won 11 of those Grand Slam matches, seven of them in the final. They have met at three season-ending WTA Finals, with Serena holding a 2-1 lead. Their most recent match occurred at the 2018 US Open, where Serena triumphed 6-1 6-2.

Although both ladies have had to face each other several times over their storied careers, this hasn't stopped them from setting numerous records. Combined they hold 30 Grand Slam singles titles, with Serena winning 23 of them. Furthermore, they have won 22 doubles titles when playing together. These include 14 Grand Slam titles and three Olympic Gold medals.

At the Top Seed Open, Serena faced a difficult test in her opening round match. The top seed rallied from a set down to defeat compatriot Bernarda Pera. Conversely, Venus made quick work of former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka. The two are set for another historic meeting, with the only downside being the lack of a live crowd to appreciate the match.

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