“I remember he said boxers has the best feet, and we needed a faster foot so…”? So, Richard Williams made his daughters, Serena and Venus Williams, train with boxers. As simple as that. Rick Macci confirmed that there would be a professional boxer in a sand pit, ready to “pop” the Williams sisters if they didn’t move. We’ve all seen and marveled at the out-of-the-box training methods their father used to shape Venus and Serena into tennis icons. But behind their endurance and excellence stood another pillar: Oracene Price, their mother. And now, at 44, Venus pays tribute to the true initiators of the legacy that began with her sister Serena and herself and lives on in the likes of Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff.
Richard Williams famously led both Venus Williams and Serena Williams to global tennis stardom, and, in the process, laid the foundations for the generation that would come after them. “Before Serena came along, there was not an icon of the sport that looked like me,” Coco Gauff said recently. It was upon seeing Serena win her fifth Australian Open that her father, Corey Gauff, had gone ahead and bought a Prince racquet and a soft spongy ball for his then-five-year-old daughter. She would later go on to become the youngest American woman to win the US Open since Serena, and is currently competing in her sixth French Open. Sloane Stephens was never really interested in tennis when she was young, but she couldn’t help but notice how the Williams sisters seemed to be winning everything. “I want to win like them,” she had said to herself back then. She would go on to beat Venus Williams years later in the first round of the 2015 French Open. All of this perhaps would not have been possible if Richard Williams hadn’t been the coach that he was.
Inspired after watching Virginia Ruzici on television, Richard decided his daughters would be tennis champions and began coaching them when they were just four and a half years old. In a 2014 New Yorker interview, when asked how he built their mental toughness, he replied, “Same way they got human tough. Running for their life! In the ghetto, no matter what color you are, you’re gonna run for your life.” Even reflecting on their early start, he admitted, “I feel like I started too early—at four years, six months, and one day,” and suggested that six would have been a better age.
Speaking on the TNT broadcasting set alongside Coco Gauff and Sloane Stephens recently, Venus Williams reflected on the roots of their collective success, emphasizing the role of family. “The impact starts with mom and dad, right? Then it affected Serena and I, and then these ladies, they shine on their own. They’re incredible. They’re Grand Slam champions. So I’m so proud that that lineage of inspiration will continue,” she said, highlighting how the legacy her parents began has now extended to the next generation in US tennis.
KEY BISCAYNE, FL – APRIL 01: Venus Williams talks with her father Richard Williams during a match against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia during day nine of the Sony Ericsson Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on April 1, 2008 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Venus also opened up about her childhood dreams and how her journey evolved. “And as a little girl, I grew up in Compton, I just wanted to be at this tournament. I wanted to win this tournament. But then you realize so much more comes with it. Bigger than your dreams, bigger than your own dreams for yourself. So it’s fantastic. And you guys inspire me at the end of the day, too,” she shared.
Even last year, the 44-year-old made a heartfelt confession that her parents were wise enough to rein it in when there was a need for it. Referring to them as “the best,” she said Richard Williams and Oracene Price were “very protective” of their daughters and ensured their childhoods weren’t lost in pursuit of tennis greatness. “They didn’t push us hard. So when it came to extremes and it was going too fast, we would slow down,” Venus addressed.
Alongside Richard’s intense methods, their mother, Oracene Price, played a powerful and grounding role in shaping the sisters’ character and values. Coaching them through childhood, the mother instilled a foundation that Venus claims has impacted “Everything” when it comes to her success. It was her mother’s influence that empowered Venus to take a bold stand for equal pay for women in tennis, and she strongly believes that without her mother, things would not have been the same.
Venus Williams shares her views about her mother
In a heartfelt conversation with the Hamilton College Community last year, Venus Williams recently opened up about the profound influence her mother had on her life and career. Reflecting on her journey, Venus offered an intense and emotional confession about Oracene Price’s role in their tennis success. “She’s the woman with the values. She’s the grounding force. So without my mom, I don’t think we could have done anything we did in the sport,” Venus shared, crediting her mother as the emotional anchor behind her, as well as Serena’s accomplishments.
Venus described her mother not only as a coach but also as a powerful role model. Her influence extended far beyond the court. “I had strong role models in my parents—especially my mom. She always said, ‘Don’t ever let anyone tell you what to wear.’ The same went for anyone telling you how to feel and how to think; I had a great opportunity growing up to embrace that,” Venus revealed.
Her rise to the top seed was driven by relentless work, but it was her parents’ unwavering encouragement that empowered her to push past limits.
Her story is a powerful reminder that behind every champion stands a family whose love, values, and strength shape greatness!
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