The legendary American coach, Richard Williams, is often regarded as the catalyst figure for his daughters, Venus and Serena Williams‘ remarkable success on the court. However, there was another person who played a significant but underappreciated part in carving out the Williams sisters’ legacy on the women’s circuit. It is none other than their mother, Oracene Price who always had faith and trust in her daughters despite all the challenges.
Even when the younger sister, Serena, was not getting much attention from the tennis world, it was Oracene who pushed her to strive for success. Speaking about it, the former American coach once revealed how she made the ‘Queen of the Court’ believe in herself after she was labeled “crazy” by ‘King’ Richard.
Oracene Price on how she inspired Serena Williams when she got neglected by her dad
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From Taekwondo to ballet, Richard Williams did everything for his elder daughter, Venus, to make her one of the greatest in the tennis realm. Notably, the former tennis coach used to spend most of his time with the 7-time singles Grand Slam champion, as she was the center of attraction during her initial years on the circuit. Due to the same, Serena Williams often got neglected while her elder sister trained hard with their dad on the court.
Even ‘King’ Richard once labeled the American tennis legend “crazy” as he claimed he couldn’t handle her. It was her mother, Oracene Price, who came forward to support the former tennis ace by being her coach. Speaking about the same in the 2012 documentary, Venus and Serena, Oracene revealed how she pushed her daughter to believe in herself amidst all the criticism.
She said, “Venus was her dad’s court. Serena was on mine. He claimed he couldn’t handle Serena, she crazy. I told her a little different, I made her believe in herself. I made her think that she can get to any ball.”
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Serena hailed Oracene for playing a significant part in her legacy
From playing on the local courts of Compton to becoming one of the greatest in tennis, the former tennis ace came a long way during her illustrious journey. Serena, who has often hailed Oracene as a “no-nonsense lady” for her training sessions, called her “the spine” in the documentary.
The ‘Queen of the Court’ said, “She was never pulling when my dad was pushing. And I think that was really really important.”
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WATCH THIS STORY: Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer.
What do you think of Oracene’s significant yet underappreciated part in Serena’s legacy? Let us know in the comments section.
