A slow start to the 2001 season, punctuated by injury and a lack of match practice, was quickly forgotten as Williams shrugged aside a first-round exit at the French Open to defend successfully her Wimbledon crown.
She eliminated compatriot Lindsay Davenport in the semi-finals before crushing Justine Henin, Jennifer Capriati's conqueror, in the final. Venus also went on to beat her sister Serena in the final of the U.S. Open, the first time that sisters had met in a Grand Slam final since 1884, as Venus became only the sixth woman to win both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in consecutive years. Further 2001 titles followed in Miami, Hamburg, San Diego and New Haven as Venus confirmed her status as arguably the best player in the world.
