Timeless Champions: Venus and Serena Williams are tennis legends. Everyone knows they began playing at ages three and four. And that their father, Richard Williams, had a detailed 78-page plan to make them champions, focusing on tough training and perfecting their skills. For instance, his realization of a powerful serve! As Serena once recounted that he spent nights studying films to teach them the perfect serve, which became a hallmark of their game. But now, their childhood coach, Rick Macci, who has seen the story unfold, just shared another tidbit that might just make you question: what if Venus picked a different sport over tennis?
Macci first met the Williams sisters in 1991, coaching them until Richard took over in 1995. Macci remained close and shared some fascinating insights into Richard’s unorthodox methods, like showing them cheetah videos and telling them they were “slow.” Richard pushed them hard daily, but also gave them hugs and kisses every hour. As Macci said, “How smart was this guy!”
However, the ex-coach recently shared another anecdote about Venus Williams’ potential that supposedly had nothing to do with tennis. He wrote on X, “Richard told me in May 1991 Compton that Vee Never lost a sprint in school. After seeing Vee soar like Batman I asked why not track. He said her Dream is to win Grand Slams in doubles with Serena. IF YOU CAN DREAM IT YOU CAN DO IT. 14 and 0 Grand Slam Finals!” and true to word, they did!
Richard told me in May 1991 Compton that Vee Never lost a sprint in school. After seeing Vee soar like Batman I asked why not track. He said her Dream is to win Grand Slams in doubles with Serena. IF YOU CAN DREAM IT YOU CAN DO IT. 14 and 0 Grand Slam Finals! @Venuseswilliams…
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) April 6, 2025
While details of their school life are limited, Venus was renowned for her speed and agility. It was crucial to her success, with 49 career singles titles and reaching World No. 1 in 2002. Her exact running speed isn’t documented like her serve, which peaked at 129 mph in 2007. However, her exceptional court coverage was consistently highlighted. This made her one of the fastest and most athletic players in women’s tennis history.
Similarly, Serena Williams was known for her powerful athleticism. She also could cover the court effectively. This complemented her formidable serve that reached 128.6 mph at the 2013 Australian Open. Now two decades later, together, they have won 30 singles Grand Slam titles and 14 doubles titles.
And to believe it all started because their father had a dream for them? To have two daughters and turn them into tennis champs after watching Virginia Ruzici of Romania receive a $20,000 check for winning a tournament in 1978. But was it a risk? Certainly! Even Venus agreed that it was.
Venus shares how their tennis careers was a calculated risk
In 2017, Venus Williams was candid about her journey in an interview with Business Insider. While speaking of the dedication her father put into training her and Serena, she was asked if there was a risk involved to it all. “It was definitely risky, to put your time and your heart into, but sport teaches you so much, and you can translate that to other parts of life,” she said. Highlighting that it’s not just time and training that goes into making a tennis player.
She noted, “But it’s definitely a lot of dedication, not just for, you know, myself or the children, but the parents, the family finances, the money that you could be putting toward retirement you’re using to buy tennis shoes and restring rackets and tennis lessons.” In professional tennis, players are typically classified as independent contractors from the beginning of their careers. This classification means they are responsible for their own expenses, including training, equipment, travel, and coaching, unlike athletes in team sports who often have these costs covered by their teams.
Additionally, their father not only helped in their training from a young age but also made the decision to move from Compton to the suburbs and then to Florida. Specifically, to provide them with better training facilities. In the end, it worked out through grit and hard work, they achieved that dream as she phrased it, “So if you don’t make it, then you may never retire. It’s definitely a lot of risk.”
However, while Serena hung up the racket in 2022 at the US Open, Venus is still on the tour. Albeit, she’s currently on break after she injured her knee at Wimbledon in 2023, she still holds out hope to return to the court someday.
The post “Why Not Track?” –Venus and Serena Williams’ Grand Slam Dream Sparked ‘King’ Richard’s Big Tennis Call appeared first on EssentiallySports.