Hard work never goes in vain—ask Venus and Serena Williams, who have revolutionized tennis with their grit and determination. The Williams sisters took to tennis at a very young age, and despite lacking good facilities, they trained on public tennis courts in Compton to start off their tennis journey. Years later, their childhood coach, Rick Macci, still reverberates the competitive spirit in the Williams sisters.

While Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams, was their first coach, Macci joined their team soon after and became the first professional coach of Venus and Serena Williams. Macci has often highlighted how hardworking and dedicated the Williams sisters were when it came to tennis. Earlier today, another such note by him pointed out the love for the sport that the two American legends had.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Macci wrote, “As kids they could not wait to get On the court, But even better they did not want to get Off the court. The two hardest workers and most dedicated players I ever taught. The Compton Comets VW and Meek. @Venuseswilliams @serenawilliams”

Macci popularly refers to Serena and Venus Williams as ‘The Compton Comets’ as they grew up in Compton and emerged on the tennis scene from that city. The childhood coach of the Williams sisters once highlighted how they would go to extremes to pursue the sport.

Macci further revealed, “I’m sitting watching these guys hit the ball… They’re just average junior players in the 12 and under. I never saw, in all the years that I’ve been teaching, even to this day, a complete metamorphosis [like that]. They would die, I mean to die–both of ’em–to get to the ball. Their thirst for the competition was brutal.” 

Meanwhile, the Williams sisters’ struggle is no secret. Earlier this week, the younger Williams sister made a staggering revelation on her childhood struggles.

Serena Williams made ‘lot of sacrifices’ while growing up

The Williams family grew up in a humble background in Compton, which had just the basic facilities needed to pursue a sport like tennis. Nonetheless, Serena and Venus Williams used the public courts and practiced hard day in and day out to excel in tennis. Earlier this week, Serena Williams took to social media to highlight her childhood struggles.

Posting a video on TikTok, she narrated, “Well, I had sisters all the time so I guess I didn’t need a sleepover. But well I guess I slept over every night. But so, we all stayed in my room and it was fun, it was a lot of fun. I started playing tennis like at literally 3 years old and then, I don’t know I’ve just always been playing. You have to make a lot of sacrifices.”

While the younger Williams sister retired from tennis in 2022, Venus Williams hasn’t called time on her career yet. As a result, fans can expect to see her in action next year, although she hasn’t played for a long time. Can she have one last laugh before retiring from the sport? Let us know what you think in the comments below.