Venus and Serena Williams

The story of Venus and Serena Williams, 28 and 26, is a rags to riches one. They have become the biggest stars in women's professional tennis. Their beginning wasn't as easy. They were born in Saginaw, Michigan to Richard and Oracene Williams. They had three other sisters, none of which were sports minded.

Richard, their father, loved tennis and had a dream of having daughters who would one day play. So, when Venus was born in 1980, and Serena was born in 1981 his dream was about to come true. The sisters loved the game immediately. Sometimes they practiced as many as six hours a day. Their playing court was filled with holes. Using tattered rackets, they would hit the balls against walls. Richard would yell out the instructions from a book as they played.

They moved from that area to Compton, Los Angeles, California. It was an extremely dangerous neighborhood. They played fearing for their safety at times. Before they were five, their father had them competing. They played professional as teenagers, but only in private events. Serena attended a tennis school in Florida. She made her debut at fourteen. She made the top 20 in 1998 and at sixteen she won the US Open in 1999.

Continuing the riches saga, Serena designs a line of athletic apparel. She uses her name spelled backwards, Aneres, as the company name. She signed a 12 million dollar contract with Puma to endorse their clothing and shoes. Venus recently upset Serena in the final Duboi Championship. This makes her the current Olympic Champion in doubles.