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SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – OCTOBER 29: WTA Legend Ambassador Chris Evert of the United States attends a press conference during day 7 of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore at Singapore Sports Hub on October 29, 2016 in Singapore. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

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SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – OCTOBER 29: WTA Legend Ambassador Chris Evert of the United States attends a press conference during day 7 of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore at Singapore Sports Hub on October 29, 2016 in Singapore. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Looking up to Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams, and how he supported his daughters, the American tennis legend Chris Evert has only one regret in her life. Seeing Richard Williams do anything to stand up for his daughters made the 18-time Grand Slam champion realize the most significant thing about being a parent.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion who was also coached by her father believes that every athlete’s parent should have the mindset that Williams’ father had for his daughter’s career. The way he trusted, acknowledged, and stood beside his daughters is the kind of support that athletes desire throughout their career.
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Chris Evert praises Serena Williams’ father
The 68-year-old was recently invited as a guest on the ‘Fantastic Tennis’ podcast where she talked about her tennis career and also praised the important figure behind the Williams sisters’ success.
She took Richard Williams’ name as an example and addressed that having a father like him is a game-changer in itself. She lauded the way King Richards gave both Serena and Venus Williams confidence in order to establish a winning mentality in both of her daughters. Additionally, she also shared a regret related to the same instance.

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NO COMMERCIAL USE: Tennis sisters Venus (left) and Serena Williams with their father Richard before an interview with the BBC at the Lawn Tennis Championships, Wimbledon. (Photo by Michael Stephens – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
She said, “I have to hand this to Richard Williams by the way, because he was the first father or tennis parent to say to his kids, to Serena and Venus go for it, be fearless go for it. I don’t care what happens you know just don’t be fearful. And I am like God, if we would have been taught like that. We might have been different people. We might have had different careers.”
The former world number one felt that if she was trained in a way that Richard trained his daughters, she would have been a totally different person on the tennis court.
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When Evert credited Richard for his daughter’s success
In an earlier interview with ESPN, the tennis legend was again full of praises for Richard Williams. She acknowledged that she was impressed by the way both the William sisters had the power to speak their minds in public. She credited the fearless nature of the iconic duo to their father.
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Moreover, the veteran tennis star also stated that she was always fearful about expressing or taking a stand for herself. But in her next life, she would like to be more fearless just like the Williams sister.
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