‘That Was Venus and Serena’s Dad’- 28-Year-Old American Tennis Player Reveals Embarrassing ‘King’ Richard Moment When She Was a Kid

Every aspiring tennis player has looked up to the two tennis legends, Venus, and Serena Williams, whose careers were shaped by their demanding father, Richard Williams. The man behind the two tennis stars is a stalwart in the world of tennis coaches. Seeing the man in action during one of their matches was a rollercoaster ride. Although he was welcoming of fans’ appreciation, things turned weird and awkward when a fan hugged him out of blue.

Seeing Venus and Serena Williams play motivated a lot of people to take up tennis as a career choice. Similarly, an ITF layer opened up about how, in a moment of excitement, she went a little overboard.

How did the father of Venus and Serena Williams react when a little fan came up to him? 

Fans clamoring to shake hands or a high-five with the Williams sisters is not a new thing, as the stars are accustomed to it. However, it is Richard Williams who did not expect an enthusiastic 12-year-old fan of his daughter to come up to him.

ITF player Sydney Campbell, like a lot of female tennis players, looked up to Venus and Serena Williams while she was growing up. Narrating one such experience from her childhood, she stated during the Two Percent Podcast, “I went to the US Open at 11 or 12 years old, which was like a huge deal.”

Indeed it was, however, things took an awry turn because of a misunderstanding. She knew a tennis pro in Nashville who looked like Richard Williams, who was also going to watch the match. So she told him, “Oh we’ll see you there.” 

Giving him a superficial name, Joe, she opened up about the further chain of events. She stated, “I give him this huge hug. And my mom is like “Sydney get back here.” 

12-year-old Campbell wasn’t sure what had happened until her mother picked up. She said, “She’s like I’m sorry and he walks away.” After he left the scene, her mother told her, “That was Venus and Serena’s Dad.”

The moment turned out to be quite embarrassing for young Sydney. However, she was grateful that Williams did not mind it. She stated, “I just melted. I was so embarrassed. He played it off so cool. He knew that I thought he was somebody else, and he just pretended. Nice man though.” 

READ MORE: ‘She’s Trolling Us??’- 42-Year-Old Venus Williams Perplexes Tennis Fans in a Lethargic Effort to Up Her Emoji Game

Richard Williams has mostly been portrayed in a negative light because of his aggressive celebrations, particularly during his daughters’ matches. People even accused him of controlling the results of his daughters’ matches. However, tennis legend Chris Evert once hoped to have a father like him.

Chris Evert wished to have a father like Richard Williams

The American tennis legend might not like Richard Williams as a coach. However, she expressed her desire to have a father like him. Jimmy Evert, the father and coach of Evert, was a strict disciplinarian. Evert wished to have a father like Richard Williams, as she would have believed in herself even more. Consequently, she would have been able to have an even more successful career.

WATCH THIS STORY: Venus Williams’ Fitting Reply to Sister Serena’s Hysterical Hitting Partner Question

What do you like about Richard Williams the most? Let us know your views in the comments below.