Move Over, Max Decugis: Williamses Win Doubles

Doug Mills/The New York TimesVenus and Serena Williams, right, celebrating after capturing their third Olympic doubles title.

LONDON – It’s not easy being a professional athlete with an auto-immune disease, but the American tennis star Venus Williams is getting by with a little help from her sister Serena. On Sunday the Williams sisters returned to the All England Club, where last month they won their fifth Wimbledon doubles title, and secured their third Olympic women’s doubles title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic.
The sisters’ other Olympic doubles titles came in Sydney in 2000 and Beijing in 2008. They are the first to win the same Olympic tennis event three times. With their four gold medals apiece — Venus won the singles in 2000 and Serena on Saturday — they equaled the career total of Max Decugis, a Frenchman whose heyday spanned the years from 1900 to 1920.
Who else won four golds, Serena Williams asked in the news conference after their match.
“Well before our time,” a reporter answered.