Back in 1998 they were starting to make an impact as Venus reached that year’s US Open semi-finals and Serena Williams made her main draw debut in New York.

By the 2000s the pair were forced to be reckoned and would go on to win 30 Grand Slam singles titles between, 23 of them belonging to Serena.

Who did Serena Williams name as her toughest opponent back in 1998?

Williams began to make a breakthrough during the 1998 season where she made her main draw debut at the Grand Slams.

She reached seven quarter-finals but lost each of them, and finished the year ranked number 20 in singles, and she is the quickest to reach that milestone in women’s history.

The best player in 1998 was Lindsay Davenport, who won the US Open and finished the year as the World number one. Therefore, it came as no surprise when Williams named Davenport as her toughest opponent that season. 

“I don’t know. I mean, there are a lot of good people coming up,” Williams said 27 years ago. “And everyone is doing good, so — I would say Lindsay, because Lindsay is really playing good tennis.

“And every time I play her it is tough, so, I have to be ready when I play her, yeah. Besides Venus, yes, I would say her.”

What was Serena Williams’ head-to-head record against Lindsay Davenport?

Davenport enjoyed a successful 17-year career on the WTA Tour which produced 55 titles.

In addition to the 1998 US Open, she also emerged victorious at the 1999 Wimbledon Championships and the 2000 Australian Open.

But the 1996 Olympic champion had difficulty playing against Williams, who she shared the court with on 14 occasions.

Davenport won just four times, including their very first meeting in Chicago back in 1997.

Her other three victories over Williams came at the 2000 US Open, and both of their meetings in 2004 in Los Angeles and the season-ending championships.