On June 17, 1980, a tennis legend was born. Over four decades later, Venus Williams is still standing tall, with a career that has changed women’s tennis forever. And her list of achievements? It’s stacked. She has won 49 WTA singles titles, including seven Grand Slam trophies. That’s five Wimbledon titles and two US Open wins. She also owns an Olympic gold medal in singles from the Sydney 2000 Games. But that’s just half the story. Alongside her sister Serena, Venus has dominated the doubles game too. Together, they’ve bagged 22 doubles titles, including 16 Grand Slam trophies and three Olympic gold medals in doubles. It’s one of the most successful sibling partnerships in sports history. Behind all of that, there’s one man who saw it all coming. Richard Williams. Their father, their coach, and the architect behind it all.
His story even hit the big screen. ‘King Richard’, an Oscar-nominated film, tells the true tale of Richard Williams and his wild mission to take his daughters from the streets of Compton to the top of the tennis world. Will Smith plays the role of Richard, a man who refused to follow the rulebook. He didn’t care about country clubs or tennis traditions. He had a plan. Literally. A 78-page written blueprint on how Venus and Serena would become the best.
Venus recently reflected on all this in an interview with ‘L’OFFICIEL Italia‘. The 45-year-old said, “The part of me that has developed the most is my inner strength. Tennis is incredibly competitive, and since I was little, I had to train not only my body, but also my mind and my emotions. He taught me to be strong, to stay focused even under pressure, to recover from defeats. There were long days of training and hard defeats, but I was incredibly lucky to have parents who supported me and believed in me as an athlete, but most importantly, they made sure I had a real childhood. They reminded me that life is not just about victories and that the person I was outside the field mattered as much as the results obtained on the field.”
That mindset didn’t come from luxury. It came from Compton. Richard made a bold move, choosing to raise his daughters in a tough environment to toughen them up. He believed they needed to develop a fighter’s mentality. His methods were unusual. He pulled the girls out of junior tournaments to protect them from burnout. He wanted them to stay grounded and enjoy being kids.
22 Jul 1992: Venus Williams receives instructions from her father Richard and coach Rick Macci in Florida. Mandatory Credit: Ken Levine /Allsport Credits: Getty Images
And his coaching style? It was one of a kind. He didn’t pamper them. He didn’t carry their bags or their water bottles. It was part of building what he called “a rough, tough mentality the world has never seen.”
Even their childhood coach, Rick Macci, remembers the Richard Williams playbook. He once posted on X, “He wanted the hitting coaches to call the ball OUT when it hit the line… He wanted the girls to confront and demand the hitter to proceed to the net for a Compton Conference Call.”
Turns out that approach worked. Serena pulled off legendary comebacks, like the one at the 2012 US Open. She also fought through serious health issues after childbirth. Venus too pushed past self-doubt and a tough autoimmune condition to reach the 2017 Australian Open final. Their resilience is proof that Richard’s training wasn’t just physical. It was mental warfare.
But he didn’t do it alone.
Venus Williams reveals her mother’s role in shaping her career
Their mother, Oracene Price, played a huge role in shaping who they are. Venus Williams recently spoke to the Hamilton College Community about her mother’s impact. “She’s the woman with the values. She’s the grounding force. So without my mom, I don’t think we could have done anything we did in the sport,” Venus said.
Oracene wasn’t just another coach. She was their guide off the court, too. The 7-time Grand Slam champion explained, “I had strong role models in my parents, especially my mom. She always said, ‘Don’t ever let anyone tell you what to wear.’ The same went for anyone telling you how to feel and how to think; I had a great opportunity growing up to embrace that.”
So while Venus celebrates her 45th birthday, her journey is still inspiring generations of athletes and dreamers. It wasn’t just about serves and trophies. It was about belief, grit, and the power of a plan.
The post Venus Williams Reveals the Real Gift From Father ‘King’ Richard That Meant More Than Any Trophy appeared first on EssentiallySports.
