She was the chosen one, the African American prodigy with the celestial name. She rose from humble beginnings in Compton to win two Olympic gold medals, take Wimbledon by storm and sign a shoe deal making her one of the highest-paid athletes of all time.
Venus Williams, 22, was unquestionably the world's best female tennis player. Kid sister Serena seemed to tag along -- good enough to give chase on the court, but mostly adding novelty to the most famous sister act in sports.
No more. Serena has grown up. She has beaten Venus in four straight Grand Slam finals, including their hardest-fought battle at last week's Australian Open. Along the way, she has dealt a wicked backhand to the marketing world's notion of who is the most bankable sister.
Ranked No. 1, the increasingly flamboyant Serena could soon eclipse Venus in both celebrity firepower and endorsement muscle, a glam slam that is expected to lead to a record-setting shoe deal of her own.
"As Serena has matured on the court and become more successful, her personality has emerged," said business manager Stephanie Tolleson, who represents both sisters. "It changed her marketability because companies got a better understanding of Serena as a person."
Case in point: Toothpaste.
Serena, 21, has been pushing her agents for years to find a way to capitalize on her neon smile. After she became the top-ranked women's player in July, she inked a $500,000 deal to star in a Close-Up commercial. During a special summer promotion, she will be featured on the box, replacing the smiling couples that traditionally have been used.
Indeed, both Venus and Serena long ago entered the marketing lexicon as the rarest of properties: athletes who transcend their sport and are on a first-name basis with the public. Tiger, Michael, Kobe, Shaq -- showcased in major media markets or the world stage, these "marquee" sports celebrities continue to draw big promotional deals even as cost-conscious firms have stopped spending on second-tier athletes.
The appeal of Venus and Serena goes beyond set points and 120-mph serves. Advertisers love their shared story of hitting flat tennis balls on the public courts of Compton, only to overcome barriers of race and class to rule a white country-club sport.
