Watch: "Venus & Serena: An American Dream" documentary

"It's amazing, how Venus and I have continued to play so well after so many years, and I just feel honored to be part of this amazing duo."

It's impossible to overstate just how much Venus and Serena Williams changed the game of tennis and have moved its needle over the past three decades—but a watershed moment came 21 years ago at the 2001 US Open. At ages 21 and 19, respectively, the sisters played against each other in a Grand Slam final for the first time, in the first US Open women's singles final to be played in primetime. The match, won by Venus, 6-2, 6-4, not only drew a larger television audience than the Notre Dame vs. Nebraska college football game that was broadcast at the same time, but helped establish mainstream appeal for women's professional sport.

The Williams sisters' history at the US Open only began that night. Take a closer look back at all this and more in "Venus & Serena: An American Dream," a documentary that explores the far-reaching effect the sisters have had on tennis, both prior to that pivotal final and in the years since. 

For more exclusive US Open video content, from full matches, highlights and other documentary productions, explore the US Open YouTube channel.