Have we seen the last of Serena and Venus Williams at the Olympics?

Serena Williams is the most dominant player in the sport of tennis, and will go down as perhaps the best woman to ever play the sport. Venus Williams was dominant in her own right for a long time, and that dominance is often overlooked thanks to Serena’s shadow.

In the Olympics, the Williams sisters have had a world of success, individually and as a team. They’ve earned Olympic gold in singles and doubles play, with the latter earning them three consecutive gold medals. Venus established herself as a player with excellent shot placement while Serena is overwhelming in all aspects of her game.

But both of them are out of the Rio Olympics, with Venus falling in singles play on the first day, the pair losing their first doubles match and Serena’s run coming to an end in the third round.

Venus’ coach claimed she had a virus, which is totally believable given how sluggish and passive she looked. But perhaps Serena caught it as well, as she was anything but her usual, dominant self in doubles play and she looked drained in both her singles victories and her singles loss.

This brings up the question: is this the last we’ve seen of the Williams sisters at the Olympics? There are still mixed doubles to consider this year, but that’s never been the main event and never will be. But what about the next Summer Olympics in 2020?

Venus will be 40 years old when those next Olympics come around. She’s been playing professional tennis for her entire adult life, and after more than 1,000 matches, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, two Grand Slam mixed doubles title and seven Grand Slam singles titles, there’s a lot of wear and tear on her body.

Serena will be 38 yards old when those Olympics come around. She too has more than 1,000 matches, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles and herself a massive 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

It seems likely that they both will have called it a career by then. That’s not to say that there will definitely be better American women to have in both singles and doubles play at that point — the Williams sisters surely have enough raw talent that is unlikely to be equaled by somebody who is simply younger and fresher than them.

But everyone has to stop at some point. For Serena, who is still the world No. 1, it’s anybody’s guess as to how long she’ll keep going. Seeing her continue for another couple years wouldn’t be surprising. Seeing her continue for another four would be slightly surprising, but Serena is already otherworldly.

Venus seems like a different story. Her career record hasn’t dipped exceptionally low in recent years, but she always seems to have a lot less in the tank than her sister and her past self. She hasn’t been able to reach down deep and tap into a reserve of power that she used to have. When she starts to lose, she gets even more sluggish and even more passive.

Keep in mind, we’re talking about the No. 6-ranked woman in the world, here. She’s not bad by any means, and is in fact one of the best in the game today. But she seems to be fading, and her last days in the sport will surely be before her sister’s, and likely before the next Olympic Games roll around.

The greatest athletes can have the most ridiculous longevity, and if anything should be expected of Serena and Venus Williams, it should be the unexpected. Never bet against them, but it sure would be a tall order for both of them to still be going at it strong in four years time. Regardless, it’s a sobering thought to consider the possibility of an entire Summer Olympics without either Williams sister representing the United States.