Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard Williams was featured in a documentary that has earned high praise from former French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Richard Williams coached the legendary Williams sisters during their formative years and played a pivotal role in shaping their tennis careers. While Serena Williams won 23 Grand Slams before hanging up her racquet at the US Open in 2022, 43-year-old Venus Williams has seven Grand Slams to her name and continues to compete.
Tsonga took to Instagram to share a picture of Richard Williams smiling in a scene from the documentary On the Line: The Richard Williams Story playing on a screen.
“This documentary is the best I have seen in my sport. Richard Williams Game Set and legends,” Tsonga wrote.
The storyfocuses not only on the Williams sister’s father but also the influence of their mother Oracene Price on their lives. It showcases a complete family picture of the 83-year-old, including six children from his previous marriage and three daughters from Price, the youngest two being the former World No. 1s.
The documentary is directed by Stuart McClave. It uses archival footage and interviews of the Williams family patriarch and is available on Canal+.
Serena Williams’ childhood coach Rick Macci recounts father Richard’s advice to her and Venus Williams
Venus and Serena Williams’ childhood coach Rick Macci heaped praise on the legendary sisters’ father Richard. While the siblings were under the tutelage of their father from the start, Macci was one of the early spotters of the two young talents.
A former player and a veteran coach to several other future World No. 1 players like Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, and Andy Roddick, Macci began training Venus and Serena Williams were they were ten and nine years old, respectively. He gave the coaching reins over to Richard Williams completely in 1995.
Macci enjoys a close bond with the family and recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to share some of Richard William’s advice to his young daughters.
“The Number One Gold Nugget Richard Williams would say Every Single Day to @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams and why I love The King Compton Crusader and that was to Smile. GOAT FATHER,” Rick Macci wrote.
Macci often takes to social media to share tidbits about the two Grand Slam champion sisters from their childhood.
