Serena and Venus Williams: their rise to success on Richard pedestal

Richard Williams is one of Tennis' all-time great coaches after coaching his daughters Serena and Venus Williams to over 40 Grand Slam Singles and Doubles titles.

Whether you are a tennis fan or not, let's take a look through Richard's method behind the madness, which allowed the two sisters to flourish into tennis all-time greats.

Serena Williams was born in September 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan (USA). Her sister Venus was nearly one year old at that moment. She had been born in June 1980 in Lynwood, California.

From an early age, Serena and Venus Williams had their father as their tennis coach. He would do anything to take his daughters to the highest level.

In the late 1970s, Richard Williams and his partner Oracene Price had lived in an underprivileged neighborhood in Compton, California. Both dreamed of being able to start a family and raise them in more favorable conditions. While watching a professional women's tennis tournament, an idea crossed the mind of Richard Williams ...

About two years before the birth of Venus (born June 1980) and Serena (September 1981), their father had everything planned. He developed a method for success two years before the birth of Venus.

Richard Williams had written a document of 78 pages in which he had listed training methods and an ambitious plan for his future children, whom he determined would play tennis at a very high level.

The two sisters Venus and Serena Williams had their first rackets in hand at the age of 4 and a half. The first training sessions took place on a dilapidated tennis court. Under the blazing sun or in the pouring rain, Serena and Venus trained tirelessly. Williams' method is described as the most intensive.

If the training led by their parents allowed Venus and Serena to learn to play tennis with a certain rigor, there is one factor that should not be overlooked: talent. Venus and Serena were naturally endowed with an insane talent for tennis, thanks to which they were able to become legends of their sport.

Soon the family moved to Florida so that Venus and Serena could join a tennis academy. The sisters won all their matches on the junior circuits.

At 11, Venus had a ratio of 63 wins to 0 losses. Her younger sister, aged 10, was also number 1 in her category, with 46 wins for 3 losses. Richard eventually decided to take them out of the academy to be their only trainer.

Venus and Serena both became professional tennis players by the age of 14. Venus began her career at the Stanford tennis tournament in 1994, and she went on to win many tournaments and played her first Grand Slam final three years later, at the US Open.

As for Serena, she began her professional career in 1995 at the Quebec tournament. She obtained major recognition in 1999 by winning her first Grand Slam, the US Open.

Throughout their careers, Venus and Serena held the leading position in the WTA rankings several times - both in doubles and in singles! It must be said that their respective achievements are awe-inspiring...

Serena Williams is considered the greatest tennis player of all time. She won 23 Grand Slam singles tournaments. Venus Williams has won 49 individual titles, including 7 Grand Slams in singles.

They both won gold at the Olympics, in 2000 for Venus and in 2012 for Serena. At the same time, the two sisters have also achieved many successes together....

Serena and Venus Williams had to play against each other several times, especially during four consecutive Grand Slam finals in 2002 and 2003. However, they also impressively played with each other. Together, the Williams sisters won 14 doubles Grand Slams and 3 Olympic titles.

Throughout their championship careers, their number one supporter has always been their father, Richard Williams. After a stroke in 2016, Richard now suffers from neurological disorders affecting some of his cognitive abilities.

Serena Williams told Variety magazine that she loved to share "everything my dad means to me and our family and everything he has done for us."

With Serena Williams retiring in 2022, Venus is the only sister to remain in the game. Will she play many more matches, or will she soon follow in her younger sister's footsteps?

With the almighty success the sisters have created in tennis history, Richard Williams must go down as one the greatest sporting coaches of all time.