Venus and Serena Williams are two of the most decorated athletes not only in tennis but also across all sports. The two have won 30 Grand Slam titles between them in singles, along with 14 Major titles in doubles. Each of them has won four Olympic gold medals as well.
The sisters have always credited their father, Richard Williams, as being the driving force behind their rapid rise to superstardom. He coached them from a young age and had a vision that the sisters would be the next big thing in tennis. He didn’t stop until he achieved that dream.
While their father has become more of a recluse over the years, the Williams sisters still speak highly of him whenever the opportunity presents itself. Here are five bold quotes that Venus and Serena Williams have said with respect to their father over the years:
Trending
"This is a guy who's for his family, for his daughters, ride or die, no matter what" - Venus Williams
Richard Williams' brash persona definitely ruffled some feathers during the meteoric rise of his daughters. While he was often criticized for his antics, his foremost focus remained the success and well-being of his daughters.
Venus Williams highlighted this point during the promotion of the movie "King Richard", a biopic based on how her father turned the siblings into tennis greats. During an interview with ABC News in 2021, she stated that while the world at large didn't fully understand him, they eventually did come to realize that he would do anything for his family, especially his daughters.
"People didn't understand him but I think that it didn't take long for people to realize that this is a guy who's for his family, for his daughters, ride or die, no matter what," Venus Williams said.
Richard Williams was fiercely protective of his family. The most visible example of this was when he interrupted an interview to chastise an interviewer who tried to break down Venus Williams' confidence as a 14-year old.
"My dad was and still is way before his time" - Serena Williams
Richard Williams anticipated how the world could possibly treat two young African-American girls in a sport that was mostly dominated by Caucasians in the 1990s. Even though the world threw plenty of obstacles at him and his family, he never wavered from his goal of making his daughters into tennis superstars.
Serena Williams acknowledged the same in a chat with GQ magazine in the lead-up to the release of "King Richard". She credited her father for having the foresight and being a forward thinking man to shield them from potential adversities and focus on the bigger picture.
"My dad was and still is way before his time. You see, when someone is different—when they don’t act or look how a person assumed they would—the first reaction is often fear. They think, How do we break them? My dad anticipated that, but he would not allow himself or his family to be broken," Serena Williams said.
Richard Williams definitely distinguished himself from other parents who coached their children and has the most impressive record as a parent-coach. His decision to allow the girls to skip the junior circuit was regarded controversial at that point but he stuck to his guns, and the rest is history.
"The one and and only G.O.A.T." - Serena Williams
With 23 Major titles in singles along with numerous other accolades to her name, Serena Williams is often cited as the greatest of all time when it comes to tennis. However, in an endearing social media post, she referred to her father as the greatest.
Williams' father has cut down on his public appearances in recent years on account of his health and age. However, she uploaded a video on Instagram a few years ago in which her father was seen recording her daughter, Olympia, as she zoomed around on her bicycle.
"A rare sighting, the one and only G.O.A.T. still motivating ... King Richard, but I call him daddy," Serena Williams on Instagram.
Richard Williams is a doting grandfather and his joy at watching his granddaughter having fun is palpable.
"I think he never wants us to retire, so it's a joy for him to see us out here" - Venus Williams
Richard Williams had slowly cut down on his courtside appearances in the latter half of his daughters' careers. However, he made one such appearance during the Miami Open 2017, cheering on Venus Williams from the stands. Serena Williams was on a hiatus then after winning the Australian Open and announcing her pregnancy.
Williams secured a semifinal berth in Miami with a win over Svetlana Kuznetsova. She spoke about her father's rare appearance and while she was glad that he taught the sisters to think of a world beyond tennis, she also felt that he doesn't want them to retire either since it makes him happy.
"I feel that his greatest accomplishment was for Serena and I to be whole people and to not be statistics,” Venus said. “[Richard] just wanted us to not see tennis as the whole thing in our life. At this point I think he never wants us to retire, so it's a joy for him to see us out here," Venus Williams said.
However, this was back in 2017. Serena Williams capped off her career following a third-round exit from the US Open 2022. While Venus Williams hasn't officially retired, she has been deemed an inactive player after not competing since the Miami Open 2024.
"He really changed the game, and we were his students in that sense" - Venus Williams
The Williams' sisters ushered in a new era of powerful shotmaking coupled with sharp athleticism. Venus Williams tipped her hat to her father for instilling those attributes in them.
During a chat with renowned artist Titus Kaphar for Cultured magazine, Williams explained how her father always encouraged the sisters to play first-strike tennis over defense at all costs.
"That person for me was definitely my dad. He created his way of how he thought tennis should be played. For example, we were not allowed to play defense. It didn’t matter if we got to this shot that normally someone would play a defensive shot on. You couldn’t hurt us. We would just play offense no matter what. He really changed the game, and we were his students in that sense," Venus Williams said.
The strategy certainly worked wonders for both of them given their illustrious careers. Their style of play has been emulated by many players over the years and inspired other parents to teach take a leaf out of his playbook with respect to their children.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
