Serena and Venus Williams didn’t just play tennis—they redefined it. With their grit, talent, and trailblazing success, they became household names and inspired a generation of athletes. But behind their meteoric rise lies the story of a man who dared to dream big for his daughters: their father and first coach, Richard Williams, famously known as “King Richard.” Richard’s approach to coaching was anything but ordinary. His love for Serena and Venus was tough, uncompromising, and deeply rooted in his vision of their greatness. And now, shedding new light on this compelling narrative is none other than Rick Macci, the ex-coach of the Williams sisters.

Venus and Serena trained under Macci when they were 10 and 9 years old respectively. The partnership began in 1991 and lasted for a couple of years. But even after the younger sister has retired and the elder sister has remained absent from action for quite some time now, Macci never fails to recall some of the intriguing moments of their practicing days, especially the way their father trained them. 

Taking to his X, Macci shared an interesting anecdote that highlights the tough love depicted by King Richard for his daughters. “Richard loved the GRAVEL PIT in HAINES CITY! Vee and Meek at the bottom of 20 foot loose rock 2 feet water and try to reach the top. They would stumble and tumble. Ureal fun intense workout and developing a mindset to KEEP CLIMBING TO THE TOP!” he wrote. Interestingly, this is not the first time that such a tough side of Richard Williams has come to light.

In a candid revelation made by Macci last week, he highlighted how dedicated and punctual the Williams sisters were for practice and credited their father for the same. “Richard was always Early to practice. Always. We said if you are Late you will never be Great. Both VEE and Meek on court not only prepared Early but very seldom hit Late. Life lessons by the Compton Crusader,” he shared. And guess what? This determination has continued to remain intact even after several years and numerous accolades that the sisters amassed. 

Taking to her social media handle earlier this year, Venus Williams highlighted that while King Richard does not make it to the court too often, his presence definitely amps up the enthusiasm whenever he does. “Dad is still going strong. He doesn’t always to the practices (I can’t always get him to come!) but when he does it’s epic. That was the end of a two minute rally,” the elder sister wrote. His contributions, meanwhile, are often acknowledged by the Williams sisters, and Serena Williams even highlighted how their father is way ahead of his time in life. 

When Serena Williams revealed an interesting trait about King Richard

The “Ghetto Cinderellas”, the name given to Serena and Venus Williams by their father since they grew up playing amid occasional gunfire sounds in Compton, California, turned pro in 1994 and 1995, respectively. But their upbringing happened in not-so-advanced facilities and they utilized the public tennis courts in their locality to train. But amidst the challenges, it was King Richard’s mindset that kept the sisters motivated as revealed by Serena herself. 

In an interaction about the same, the 23-time Grand Slam champion said, “My dad was and still is way before his time. You see, when someone is different—when they don’t act or look how a person assumed they would—the first reaction is often fear. They think, How do we break them? My dad anticipated that, but he would not allow himself or his family to be broken.” And one can easily understand that it was due to this trait that he remained motivated to give the best to his daughters. 

For now, it remains interesting to see what more stories and incidents Rick Macci has in store that highlight the amazing upbringing of Venus and Serena Williams.