The Williams Sisters Effect

It took 15years, but the effect is real. The Williams sisters effect has finally come to fruition. Now, more than 15 years after Venus reached the US Open final in 1997, there are six young, promising US African-American women players who were all influenced and inspired by the Williams’ success. True, as Oracene Price said last year, to a large degree the Williams sisters are still holding up American tennis. The sisters remain the US’s two most recognizable players by a long shot. But there has never been a generation of young African- Americans like this before, and their emergence can directly be tied to the Williams success from 1997 to the present. Sloane Stephens is currently ranked #16 in the world. Madison Keys, only 17, is ranked #45. 17-year-old Taylor Townsend is a former junior world No 1 who just reached the Wimbledon Girls’ final. Left to right: Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, and Taylor Townsend. 17-year-old Victoria Duval is the defending Girls 18s Nationals champion. 18-year-old Sachia Vickery has cracked the WTA’s 250. And 21-year-old Asia Muhammad, won a Challenger earlier this year. From Left to Right: Sachia Vickery, Victoria Duval, Asia Muhammad. In interviews all recall having watched…