‘A Dummy and a Fool’ – Venus and Serena Williams’ Father ‘King’ Richard Once Detailed the Repercussions of Playing Tennis

Venus Williams and Serena Williams are regarded as two of the biggest names in the sport. With Grand Slam titles, Olympic golds, and world no.1 rankings, the Williams sisters have reached the pinnacle of tennis. While many credit their efforts for their monumental success, only a few knew about the sacrifices their father, Richard Williams, had to make to help them succeed in their career.

The two were introduced to tennis in their childhood by Richard. Venus and Serena’s success on the professional tour is often said to be a product of their father’s dream, which he wrote even before their birth. However, despite having a dream to make his daughters the biggest tennis stars, he always inclined his belief that only playing tennis could lead to unpleasant repercussions.

Richard Williams’ advice to Venus and Serena Williams

Venus Williams made her debut at the age of 14 at the Bank of the West Classic. Similar to her sister, Serena Williams also made her debut at the age of 14 at the Quebec City Open. Considering Richard’s dream, it surely would have been a proud moment for him to see his daughters playing professionally at such a young age. However, the reality seemed far away from it.

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Richard Williams wanted to make his daughters the biggest tennis players. However, having faced the struggles of life, he understood the importance of education. The result? He always made sure to make his daughters prioritize education over tennis. He proved his belief by restricting his daughters from playing much of competitive tennis during their early teenage years.

In line with education, another factor that played a major role in his decision not to put his daughters on the pro tour was the unnecessary competitive pressure at that age. “Don’t get too tied up in this,” he advised his daughters. “Or you’ll be like the rest of them.”

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Tennis rightly remained an important factor in Richard’s life. However, he made sure that education will always have priority over tennis. Reasoning out his thought in front of daughters, he said, “You’ll be a dummy and a fool,” if they thought tennis was more important than education.