Greatness isn’t just born- it comes with hard work, perseverance, and the skillset of the potter who molds the clay. However, sometimes, even from the very beginning, there are hints of something extraordinary. A testament to this fact is the Williams sisters who didn’t just grow up to dominate the WTA- but they showed signs of their legendary potential long before they lifted their first trophies. And their childhood coach, Rick Macci, has a memory that proves the greatness Venus and Serena Williams were destined to achieve.

Macci, the man who helped shape Serena and Venus Williams into global icons, recently shared a fascinating and hilarious anecdote from their early training days. If you think their drills were all about discipline and technique, think again. Picture this—two young girls, barely out of their cribs, fast-walking around a tennis court “with cones on their heads, a two-pound weight in hand, and a hula hoop challenge to top it all off.” Sounds ridiculous? Maybe. But for the Williams sisters, it was just another day of building greatness.

Macci took to Twitter to reminisce about the Williams sisters’ unique drills:

“Day one Vee and Serena fast-walked around the court with a cone on the head,” he said. “2 pound weight in right hand doing backhand volleys. The icing on the cake was the HULA HOOP! Both killed it first try. Unreal athletes from day one from the crib doing the crib!!”

Even as kids, Venus and Serena were built differently. Their balance, strength, and coordination were already years ahead of their peers. Macci often takes to his Twitter handle to share the stories of their resilience. Although his training methods may have been unorthodox, they clearly worked—because those same young girls went on to redefine tennis as we know it today.

Venus and Serena Williams have more stories to tell, and Rick Macci loves to be a proud narrator

A few months ago, Macci had also shared another interesting anecdote about the sisters.

From playful yet demanding drills to intense training sessions, the Williams sisters developed a work ethic that set them apart from the very start. It didn’t matter if coaches thought they were clumsy or not fit for the courts. Their relentless grit for victory saw them to the heights of strength we see today.

Another time, as Macci was appearing in the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast in 2023, he revealed an interesting insight about the sisters. He said, “They both said ‘Rick, we were literally brainwashed to become No. 1’ and that maybe can work if you have the speed, the quickness and the right coaching but I never talked to either of them and we talked about this even when they were 10 and 11 and Serena was not really that good.”

Although Macci has always maintained that Serena and Venus were not just talented- they were destined for greatness, Venus was undoubtedly the better player when they were younger, and more so by Serena’s own admission. However, if these anecdotes prove anything, it’s that their journey to becoming tennis legends started long before the world took notice.