Venus Williams was hurt. Her stomach muscles were searing, her brain was spinning, her breath was short. But her baby sister wouldn't let up.

"You are a champion; now fight," Serena Williams said. It was one of the more surreal chapters in the Williams family's surreal history: Serena had advanced to the Wimbledon final with an emphatic 6-3, 6-2 win over Belgian rival Justine Henin-Hardenne but was back in the locker room two hours later, admonishing Venus to win herself.

Never before had one finalist worked so ardently to inspire another player to become her opponent. But to Serena, this wasn't just anyone, this was her sister, and her sister needed help after aggravating an old abdominal ...