‘Tear at the Very Fabric of Our Lives’ – Serena Williams Once Made an Emotional Confession on How Parents’ Divorce Did a ‘Number’ on Her Tennis Career

Both Venus and Serena Williams grew up under the unwavering support and push of both of their parents. Where Richard Williams was busy training his daughters, Oracene Price was bringing food to the table, along with having regular training sessions with them. So, to see their parents getting divorced was a matter of concern for the two sisters. They wanted to control the situation’s impact, however, things took a different turn from what they were expecting.

Serena Williams talked about the impact of their divorce in her book, “Queen of the Court”, published in 2009. In the book, she navigates through the announcement, realization, and finally reality of her parent’s divorce.

Serena Williams on the minimal impact of her parents’ divorce

Growing up with two strong figures supporting you and then not seeing them together took an indirect toll on the player. Williams detailed in her memoir, ‘Queen of the Court,’ the shocking news of their announcement.

She stated, “And then, one crazy- weird day in 1999, about a year after my first professional win, my parents told us they were getting a divorce. It threw me.” However, she tried to handle it like an adult. Venus and Serena Williams were planning to move in together, so Williams presumed, “a divorce wasn’t going to change our lives all that much. My parents’ lives, sure.”

Keeping God and family as a central part of their lives surely affected the two sisters. Williams stated, “My parents’ announcement seemed to tear at the very fabric of our lives.” She stated, “My first thought was, “How will we keep going as a family after something like this?””

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However, with time, she realized that they were adults and were free to make their decisions. She stated, “If they’re not meant to be together, they’re not meant to be together; if they don’t make each other happy, they should move on.” Eventually, the onus was on them to get over the fact that their parents were not together anymore.

How did Oracene Price’s contribution differed from Richard Williams’? 

Both Richard and Price played a pivotal role in shaping the lives of their two successful daughters. However, they did not contribute in a similar manner.

Oracene Price had a stricter approach to coaching Serena. Serena recalled in her memoir how she wished to be in the place of Venus, who was training with her father. Because, as per Serena, Richard Williams had a calmer and more fun approach.

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Nevertheless, the guidance of both parents made the two sisters the torchbearers of the sport.