Venus and Serena Williams lead "Legacy Issue" for Harper's BAZAAR

Back in 1994, Venus Williams played her first professional match at the Bank of the West Classic in 1995—younger sister Serena would follow. That was more than 20 years ago, and now the sisters aren't just household names, but icons on and off the court. Hailing from Compton, California the legendary duo has a combined 48 major titles and neither has hinted at retirement. Their story is so unbelievable, it deserves a movie or something.

Well, they recently checked that off the list too when "King Richard" hit theaters last November. The film is up for six Academy Awards, including Best Actor—Will Smith, Best Supporting Actress—Aunjanue Elli and Best Picture. Most recently, the queens of the court landed another magazine cover, this time for Harper's BAZAAR's "Legacy Issue."

One word sums up the feature piece: "Iconic."

Venus and Serena pulled off an array of looks, re-enforcing they can rock anything and everything. From all noir dresses to stunning one-piece swimsuits and the most glamorous quilted coats—it was très chic to the max. Not only did the two pose in the most daring and fashion-forward outfits, they also sat down with writer and associate professor at UNC Chapel Hill, Tressie McMillan Cottom for the Harper BAZAAR piece and spoke about their success and what's next.

Venus carried the mantle and led the way for her younger sister, but also for many other Black women and people across the world. Her skills and talent on the court were a source of inspiration for people of color—that they too could make their dreams a reality. Even looking at the state of tennis today, it's dramatically different, thanks to the Williams' impact. Players such as four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, US Open champion Sloane Stephens, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys and so on—were all captivated by the sisters in some shape or form.

But when Cottom mentioned the word "legacy," both didn't want to touch the topic. Serena who didn't have her camera on during their Zoom call said, "let me live." The 23-time Grand Slam champion doesn't think about this word at all and she doesn't want to. Why? Because she's not done "leaving" anything behind her just yet, she's living in the present and making the most out of each day.

“That’s something I don’t think about nor do I want. I don’t want to think about what I’m leaving. I just think about who I am every single day behind closed doors and behind cameras. And that’s what I focus on," Serena said.

Venus is very much on the same page who is constantly inspired by other artists, creators, designers, and changemakers.

“I’m so inspired by other changemakers too,” Venus said. “I absolutely love design. I love mentoring. I love passing on what I know.”

The charming conversation goes deeper into their family life, "King Richard" and finally being free—a privilege their parents fought hard for. “From such a young age, all we’ve done is work," Venus said. "So I think for Serena and I to explore that freedom is surreal. We’ve never been free."