“Eat Chicken, Do Not Be One,” Venus and Serena Williams’ Former Coach Gives Fans a Sneak Peek Into King Richard’s Tough Love Parenting Style

Richard Williams, the driving force behind Venus and Serena Williams’ tennis careers, articulated his ambitious vision in his memoir, Black and White: The Way I See It: “My plan was simple: to bring two children out of the ghetto to the forefront of a white-dominated game.” From their preschool years, the sisters dedicated themselves to tennis, culminating in their historic first Grand Slam title, achieved when Venus was 18 and Serena 17. Their youth was defined by rigorous training, with daily practice sessions from dawn till dusk under their father’s guidance. Their childhood coach, Rick Macci, witnessed this unwavering dedication firsthand.

In December, Macci posted on X, praising Richard’s tough yet loving approach: “Richard Willpower Williams pushed his kids hard every Day. He challenged them every Day. He yelled at them every Day… Most of all, he hugged and kissed them every Hour. How smart was this guy!” Macci recently shared another quirky detail about Richard’s coaching-cum-parenting style.

On March 12, he wrote on X about Richard’s on-court rituals: “Richard would always eat POPEYES CHICKEN on the court and watch the little Comets. The guy was undefeated with the 6 barrel. Very aggressive and always attacked. He always would chirp at Vee and Meek ‘Hey girls eat chicken do not be one!’” This odd blend of tough love and humor defined Richard’s approach.

A part of his memoir also entails: “Eliminating the last doubts from my mind, I wrote a final seventy-five-page tennis-training plan for myself, Oracene, and my daughters-to-be, detailing every step of the road we would travel, more than two and a half years before they were both born.”

Moreover, Richard Williams’ unorthodox methods, like not carrying the girls’ bags or water, aimed to instill a “rough, tough mentality the world has never seen.” This approach paid off.

Serena famously bounced back in matches like the 2012 U.S. Open and navigated postpartum health challenges with resilience. Venus Williams, meanwhile, overcame self-doubt and health issues, reaching the 2017 Australian Open final despite an autoimmune disease. Their ability to thrive under pressure is a testament to Richard’s innovative coaching style.

Notably, despite the tough upbringing, Serena notes that she might have inherited some of these techniques, using them to raise her daughter, Olympia.

Serena reveals how she uses tricks from her upbringing to raise her daughter!

Serena Williams is not just a tennis icon; she’s also a dedicated mom who’s “obsessed” with her daughters, Olympia and Adira. She often expresses this sentiment, saying, “I am obsessed with my children. I spend all day with them.” Recently, Serena shared a clip from her conversation with musician Gavin Rossdale on his show Dinner with Gavin Rossdale. In the video, she discussed motherhood and how it’s transformed her into a loving parent. “I was definitely born to be a mom. If you thought I was born to be a tennis player, I was born to be a mom,” she revealed.

Serena credits her father, Richard Williams, for influencing her parenting style, albeit in a unique way. She noted that her father’s stricter approach during her childhood was quite different from her own loving communication style. However, she unintentionally adopted some of his traits.

For instance, Richard used to play learning songs in the car, like math songs. Serena recalled wanting to play a similar math song for Olympia, realizing, “Looking back, I like had this math song that I wanted to play for Olympia when she was younger. And I was like ‘Oh my god! I’m just like my dad.'”

Serena recalled how Richard empowered her to manage finances from a young age, saying, “I remember having to figure that out and having to learn how to manage from a very early age and not get crazy with it, and so he empowered us to do that,” in a conversation with Bloomberg. On the other hand, Venus also praised her father’s protective nature, noting, “He would not allow himself or his family to be broken. He was and still is way before his time,” in an interview with GQ.

Clearly, Richard’s influence extends beyond tennis; it has shaped Serena and Venus’s approach to motherhood and personal growth. What do you think?