• Only the Williams sisters can play tennis in Hervé Léger bandage dresses. [Bossip]

• Barack Obama says that Colin Powell will have a role in his administration. [AP]

• The press so enjoys interviewing the biological father of Madonna's son David. [MG]

• It looks like some folks won't be watching D.L. Hughley's new CNN show. [WAOD]

After getting rained out on Saturday night, Serena Williams beat Jelena Jankovic of Serbia last night to win the U.S. Open for the third time. The win will bring her up to the top of the tennis rankings for the first time since 2003.

• Common's got some balls to be practicing with Serena. [CL]

• Boris Kodjoe needs your help! [NB]

• Guess what! Targeted marketing of high calorie food and beverages to blacks contributes to the obesity problem in the black community! We totally needed a study to tell us that. [QSR]

• Now this is real Hollywood love right here. [Bossip]

• Bow Wow and Game prove they have nothing better to do. [AHH]

Venus and Serena met during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open yesterday, and Serena beat her big sister, pictured above. Venus won Wimbledon this year and just snagged a doubles gold medal with her sis at the Olympics, so things obviously could be worse for her.

Men either love Serena Williams or they absolutely do not understand the attraction. The folks at Men's Fitness are in the "love" category. They named her the "sexiest female athlete" in the September issue. She told the magazine: " “I have large boobs and a sizable ass, so I guess the [sexiest athlete title] comes with the territory. But I just play tennis. I always try to look my best, even though it’s hard to look your best when you’re sweating, grunting, and making faces. I never look my best when playing.”

In far more important news, Serena, who won a gold medal in doubles with her sister in 2000 but has never competed in the singles competition, easily made it into the third round in Beijing yesterday. Venus did, too.

Sports columnists are touting the men's and women's Wimbledon's finals this weekend as "instant classics." Rafael Nadal broke Roger Federer's winning streak in an epic battle, and Venus Williams beat her sister Serena, making this her fifth Wimbledon win. The two later went on to win the doubles championship.

A joyful-looking Serena Williams covers the July issue of Ebony; inside she talks about her diet (the typical chicken, fish, and grilled vegetables) and gives a vague quote about Common.

“I think he’s a great guy. He’s obviously a great artist who is timeless and classic. You can’t beat that. But I have to focus on tennis because that’s my goal in life.”

I'm sending tons of positive thoughts her way to counteract the virulent, disgusting racism lobbed at her in the comments section of a certain popular gossip blog. Black is beautiful, guys!

Richard Williams, whose daughters, Venus and Serena, are two of the best known tennis players in the world, says that his daughters will never be fully accepted by the tennis world because they're black. He told the Deccan Herald in Bangalore, India, "Well, I'm black and I'm prejudiced, very prejudiced. People are prejudiced in tennis. I don't think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be." He went on to say that the media is horribly unfair to his girls, and that he would have quit the sport by now if he were them. "But if you get some little white no-good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert, who cannot hit the ball, [the media] will claim this is great," he said. Wow. Something made Daddy Williams very angry. Maybe I'm living in a bubble of Williams-sister-friendly black media, but I always got the impression Venus and Serena were treated, if not nicely, than normally*, by the media. In response, Larry Scott, the president of the Women's Tennis Association, reiterated that there is a zero tolerance policy for racism in the WTA.

*Then again, there's this.

As the Williams sisters are moving through the ranks of the Australian Open, at least one Aussie is having a problem focusing on Venus Williams' tennis game. Sports commentator Robert Rasheed made some on-air comments about Venus Williams' ass that were both complimentary and creepy. Controversy ensued! Serena, the sister with what is inarguably the more formidable/famous body, is probably feeling like she's in an alternate universe. Maybe that's why she's already gotten a code violation for swearing. [EUR]

• Janet Jackson gives us an early taste of what's to come on her new album. Feedback? [CL]

• The same people who were wearing this stuff then are now criticizing today's youth for wearing baggy pants. Every generation has committed its fair share of fashion crimes. [Jezebel]

• Wesley Snipes needed to find some way to pay those back taxes. We all know the acting thing is no longer bringing in the big bucks. [BI]

• Reserving judgment on Serena Williams and Common's relationship. They are both nice people. That's all. [Bossip]

• More info on Ledisi, a Grammy nominee for Best New Artist. [MTV]

• Andre J. is not only amaaaaaaazing, but he's also black, very different, and proud:

“Most people are conditioned to think of a black man looking a certain way,” Andre J. went on. “They only think of the ethnic man in XXX jeans and Timberlands, and here Andre J. comes along with a pair of hot shorts and a caftan or maybe flip-flops or cowboy boots or a high, high heel.”

[NYT]

• The week-long series on NBC Nightly News examining "issues facing the American black woman" begins tonight. [EUR]

• Nice. Really nice. [Racialicious]

• There's something charming about a totally bald ex-supermodel. [MG]

• This is just odd. What happened to Kerry, Common? What happened to Jackie Long, Serena? [Bossip]

I have two sisters who I love more than anything in the world, so it always warms my heart to see sisters having fun together, whether they're fake ones in movies or television or actual tennis phenoms on the red carpet. This display of familial affection occurred yesterday in NYC at the launch of Venus Williams's clothing line, EleVen. These chicks love clothing lines, don't they? More after the jump.

CONTINUED »

• Sherri Shepherd considered Dog a role model. I would be surprised, but, seriously, this is the woman who didn't know the world was round. Okay, I'm a little shocked. [MG]

• Jay-Z shuns iTunes in a bid to increase record sales. I think. [SR]

• Will the media in Finland blame hip hop? [MTV]

• An injured Serena Williams pulls out of the WTA championships in Madrid. [BV]