Many people who witnessed or heard about the U.S. Tennis Open last week viewed it as just another sporting event. The entire spectacle was great for Queens, New York, the nation, and the world. I am not a tennis player or consistent fan of the game. Yet, I watched portions of all the televised games, which featured the Williams’ sisters, Venus and Serena.

I needed to witness firsthand what these young ladies were doing that would provoke a former world- class champion, more than double their ages,
to challenge them to a match.

I could not understand why John McEnroe, the former "bad boy" of the circuit during his teen and post teen years, would feel the need to offer such a challenge. He has won all of the majors, at one time or another, is acclaimed as one of the greatest players of all time, a Hall of Famer, and yet, he did not challenge Pete Sampras, a future Hall of Famer, Marat Safin, the U.S. Open champion, or any other male player. He challenged the Williams sisters. What statement did he make?

Does he think that they are too strong, athletic, and talented for the current leaders in women’s tennis? Or, does he feel they are too overpowering for the number one women’s player, Martina Hinges, and the number two, Lindsey Davenport?

Could it be that these two young black girls from the broken asphalt courts of Compton, California are shaking up the tennis establishment that he once railed against?

I am not sure what the answers are, but one thing is certain, for the next several years every women’s tourney champion will have probably faced one or both of the Williams sisters on the way to victory. As proven at the U.S. Open, beating both of them in the same tournament is highly unlikely.

Venus Williams had to fend off a number of challengers to be victorious at the U.S. Open.

It is obvious that although Venus and Serena have a sibling rivalry on the court, they are first and foremost family when they are off the court. Along with their father and mother, they represent a healthy support system for one another.

Whatever one thinks of Richard Williams, their father should be given credit for guiding the lives and careers of his daughters away from the direction of many of the other teens from Compton –illegitimate babies, high school drop-outs, drugs etc.

The alliance between Hingis and Davenport, to keep the sisters from the finals at all cost, is in part a response to the family support system the Williams’ have with one another.

Although this alliance had limited success with Serena being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Hingis, in the end the Williams’ were still victorious.

They can hold their heads high with the realization that for two successive years, one of them walked away with the top prize – the trophy and a $750,000 check, plus a congratulatory call from President Bill Clinton.

I believe there are some very instructive lessons to be learned from the manner in which Venus Williams disposed of her opponents under the pressure of the challenge by McEnroe, Hingis, and Davenport.

There are some who would have expected that she would crack under the pressure. However, she proved to be a true champion.

She first had to defeat Hingis who is still rated number one in spite of not having won a major tourney since 1998. Then she faced Davenport. Talk about an opportunity to get even and blow up an adversarial plot, this was it. She did it where it counted, on the court.

Getting behind early, Venus proved equal to Davenport’s challenge.

The game is played between the lines, and that is where Venus is at her best. Some have suggested that she is at her best both between, behind, and outside of the lines because of her ability to reach balls that get away from most other players. The lesson is simple: "talk is cheap." What happens between the lines, whether in tennis or life, is what really matters.

It is time for the tennis world to learn what the rest of the world already has.

Diversity is a reality that must be embraced. The Williams’ sisters are here to stay, so it is time for the writers to stop talking about beads and braids and focus on the fantastic tennis games played by the Williams sisters.

It is time to spend less print on their custom made outfits, and more time on their powerful presence and ability to play tennis.

It is time to stop talking about Richard Williams, he was not and is not an absentee father; rather than being castigated, he should be commended.

Venus and Serena are great tennis players and they have proven it between the lines, where it counts, and that’s all that matters.