Did Venus And Serena’s Dad Play Tennis?
We all know that Venus and Serena Williams are two of the greatest tennis players of all time. But did you know that their father, Richard Williams, was also a professional tennis player?
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at Richard Williams’ tennis career, and see if we can find any clues as to why his daughters are such phenomenal athletes.
Introduction
Richard Williams is best known as the father and former coach of champion tennis players Venus and Serena Williams. Though he was never a professional player himself, Richard is widely credited with helping to inspire and develop his daughters’ careers in tennis.
Early Life
Richard Williams had little interest in tennis until he met Betty Johnson at a park in Long Beach, California, United States, where he was trying to play football with friends. They married in April 1960. The family moved from Compton to the more affluent suburb of Lynwood.
He later stated that he became interested in tennis while watching female players of the day compete at Wimbledon. He attributes his daughters’ quick development to their natural athleticism and his own coaching savvy. When Williams was first introducing his daughters to tennis, because of their age difference of less than two years, he split them up so that each daughter could develop her own style of play.
Williams’ Tennis Career
Richard Williams had a successful tennis career, playing in the Davis Cup and Wimbledon.
Later Life
As Oracene continued to improve her daughters’ game, Williams’ father Richard began to coach them again on a limited basis. Eventually, however, he stopped coaching altogether and returned to his job as a firefighter in Compton. In 2000, Williams’ parents divorced, but they have both remained supportive of their daughters’ careers.
Conclusion
Based on the information above, it seems clear that Venus and Serena’s father, Richard Williams, did not play tennis competitively. However, he was certainly involved in the sport in some capacity, whether through coaching or simply encouraging his daughters to play.
