Megan Rapinoe lauds tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams for inspiring female athletes

US football star Megan Rapinoe has lauded Serena and Venus Williams for paving the way for female athletes in the United States. 

The Williams sisters are both considered tennis icons. Venus has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, while Serena is a 23-time major champion and is just one away from equalling Margaret Court’s all-time record. 

Both Serena and Venus’ journey to the pinnacle of women’s tennis is charted in the recent Hollywood blockbuster ‘King Richard’, which stars Will Smith as the Williams sisters’ father, Richard. 

The biopic delves deeper into the life of Richard and how he guided his daughters to worldwide tennis stardom. 

It has earned six nominations for this year’s Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor for Smith. 

The film was also nominated for multiple Critics Choice Awards and both Serena and Venus attended the ceremony last week. 

There was drama, however, as Director Jane Campion appeared to scorn the US duo for not having to compete against men like she did.

Campion was met with widespread criticism for her words, but has since apologised and praised the sisters on their wonderful careers so far. 

“I did not intend to devalue these two legendary Black women and world-class athletes,” Campion said. “The fact is the Williams sisters have, actually, squared off against men on the court (and off), and they have both raised the bar and opened doors for what is possible for women in this world. 

“The last thing I would ever want to do is minimise remarkable women. I love Serena and Venus. Their accomplishments are titanic and inspiring. Serena and Venus, I apologise and completely celebrate you.”

Rapinoe, who is a former captain of the US Women’s National Team, has