Her Serena Highness

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The sisters have been extremely close. They are, says ex-pro Pam Shriver, "best friends, doubles partners, practice partners. I don't think there have been players this close in the game, certainly not at the top." Venus invokes her sister's name constantly during interviews. Serena does the same. They are moving out of their parents' home into a house they are building nearby. Shriver points out that whenever sisters have competed in professional tennis, the elder sister has always had the edge. In the past, Serena had seemed hesitant to surpass her sister. There was talk that she had pulled out of one tournament because she and Venus were on the same side of the draw. The sisters deny that. But they are competitive. Says Shriver, who is Venus' mentor: "It's only natural that it can be awkward. The Lipton [tournament where Venus beat Serena] was very odd. They're teenagers going through adolescence. My hope is that if they truly both have this ambition, which they do--to get to the very top--they need to work this out eventually, and not have any edge one way psychologically."

Family dynamics are critical. And Richard Williams has not made it easy. Two weeks ago, as the U.S. Open began, he predicted his two prodigious daughters would face each other in the finals. That almost happened. But he has also said that Serena might prove to be the better player. On Friday night, as his older daughter was being defeated by Hingis, he vanished from the stands and apparently returned to his hotel room. Says Mary Carillo, a lead analyst for CBS Sports: "I think the sisters handle [parental pressure] beautifully. They understand what they have to do to defuse situations created by their father. Richard wants to be the story; he wants to be a big part of the Williams legend. He creates controversy and his kids have to react to it. It's all part of the hype, but let me tell you, it's those kids who have to walk into the locker room."

So far, the sisters have rushed to each other's defense amid adversity. Says Andrea Leand, a contributor to Tennis magazine: "When it comes to each other, they know the relationship is much more important than the tennis." Serena herself reflected on it last week during an interview that aired on CBS before her big victory: "I don't see how tennis could separate us. Tennis only lasts for a few years, and after that we have the rest of our lives." An admirable thought from a teenager--but one that is certain to be tested again and again on the court.

--Reported by Harriet Barovick/New York