FROM BIG TIME SERVES TO BIG BUSINESS, THE WILLIAMS SISTERS PACK A POWERFUL PUNCH

by Rhea Cabinta

On the court Serena Williams is ranked as the third best female tennis player in the world. Venus is No. 8. Venus, who was previously ranked No. 1, has won 16 Grand Slam titles – seven of those in singles. Serena is currently the top ranked American female and a former No. 1 ranked player as well. She has eight Grand Slam singles victories and is the last tennis player – male or female – to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles at the same time. And, the sisters just brought home the glory of Olympic gold in doubles from Beijing.

However, as impressive as their on-court accolades have been, their business ventures and success at parlaying their tennis popularity into fashion and pop culture fame is beyond remarkable. They first drew attention for their unbelievable talent and the flare they brought to the sport. Now, they are so recognizable that the use of their last name isn’t necessary. If you simply say the names Venus and Serena, people know who you are talking about - they know the Williams sisters brand.

The sisters have been taking full advantage of that fame by cashing in on numerous endorsement deals and plastering their image all over the pop culture landscape. Currently, they are featured in Oreo’s most recent advertising campaign, which plots the duo against football’s famous Manning brothers. “My sister and I are proud to announce that we have decided to chase the dream and become twosport athletes,” Venus says in the commercial. Serena joins in noting that they have decided to join the fictional Oreo Double Stuff Racing League (DSRL).

In the commercial, the sisters are both sitting on a stage that resembles a post-match press conference. From the other side of the room, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts chimes in: “My brother and I are proud to announce this is a great idea when we thought of it … like a year ago.” The two sides exchange barbs before Peyton Manning concludes that “it’s on like Donkey Kong.” The campaign, which will run through 2009, notes that Venus and Serena will be putting their “twisting, licking and dunking” skills to good use in the competition.

The spotlight hardly ends there. Venus recently mixed it up with former Fugees member, musician Wyclef Jean. He recorded a song for her that has served as her theme music during the U.S. Open tournament in New York. The two met during a taping of a fourth-season episode of Iconoclasts. The track is called “Venus (I’m Ready).”

Venus and Serena have been featured in commercials wearing milk moustaches and displayed on the covers of countless magazines. They have both ventured into the world of design. Serena’s designs come out under the label Aneres (Serena’s name spelled backwards) and Venus has been featured as one of the runway models for the line.

“I don’t want to end my career and then start something, I like to do something while my career is still hot and I’ve always enjoyed designing,” Serena has said previously. “There’s plenty of time after my tennis to definitely go fulltime fashion.”

Venus, on the other hand, launched her EleVen clothing line. “I love fashion and the idea that I am using my design education to actually create clothing and footwear that I will wear on and off the tennis court is a dream come true for me,” she has said. “The vision has been to create a collection that will allow women to enjoy an active lifestyle while remaining fashionable at the same time.”

Venus is also the CEO of her own interior design firm V Starr Interiors. The firm designed the set of the television program the “Tavis Smiley Show” on PBS as well as homes and businesses in the Palm Beach area.

As if that weren’t enough, they have both racked up other major endorsements that have put them among the top earning female athletes in the world. Earlier in her career, Serena had a deal with Puma. Now she has one with Nike. The sisters, collectively, have or had deals with Reebok, chewing gum behemoth Wrigley, and Avon, to name a couple.

Stephanie Tolleson, the sisters’ business manager, said it is amazing the way the corporate world is now looking at athletes in a different way than they have historically. She says the relationships are really “broad” and “powerful” and often involve Fortune 500 companies.

However, the credibility that comes along with success on the court is what has given the dynamic duo the platform to cash-in big time off of it as well.