The legendary status that Serena Williams enjoys now didn’t come that easily. It was a blend of hard work and dedication not only from her side but also from her father, King Richard, and her childhood coach, Rick Macci. Sharing a glimpse of how Richard pushed Williams to achieve her dreams in tennis, Macci revealed an interesting yet unusual story about their training sessions back in the day.

Serena Williams’ love for tennis began when she was only five years old. And her father, Richard Williams, made sure that she received proper training. He called up Rick Macci, a seven-time USPTA national coach of the year, to start coaching Williams when she was nine years old. Reminiscing about those early years of Williams’ training sessions, Macci shared how Richard used his unique and strict techniques to train Williams.

“Sometimes Serena and I would practice in the pitch dark at 5 am on a private court and Richard would be out there with a flashlight shining it in her eyes. Moral to that story. In the blink of an eye at the end of the Day a winner finds a Way. @serenawilliams,” Macci wrote on his X.

Macci coached Serena Williams for four years in an academy in Florida. But in 1995, Richard took over the coaching responsibility and trained her himself. Their hard work and story of resilience were also depicted in a movie called “King Richard” which released back in 2021. The film showcased how Richard with his strict coaching rules and hard work, transformed both the Williams sisters into the tennis legends in the world. 

Macci, who also remained a constant support for the girls, is often found going down memory lane. He often recalls those intense moments of hard work that Richard did, along with his daughters. “When they were nine to 15, they were looking at the game through a different lens, through Richard’s eyes or Oracene’s eyes or Rick Macci’s eyes, and they were little kids,” he previously said.

However, even after decades of their professional split, the Williams family and Macci remain friends to this day. And Rick Macci never shies away from acknowledging Richard’s unconditional support for his daughters.

Serena Williams’ ex-coach appreciates King Richard’s “mindset” of building “future champions”

Richard Willams earned the title of King Richard for his immense contribution to the Williams sisters’ pathway to success in tennis. As we all appreciate his efforts, Rick Macci, who has had firsthand experience of it, never backs down from pointing it out to the world as well. 

Almost a month ago, he took to his X and wrote, “Never Ever heard him make an excuse for his girls. Never. Mindset of 3 future champions baked in Triple Extra Crispy from the ghetto. @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams.“ Highlighting Richard’s hard work, he also wrote, “RICHARD never blinked. He never wavered, he never retreated. He never had any doubt. Compton Confidence on Steroids times Two. @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams.”

With their constant love and support, the Williams sisters have together won 30 grand slams in their illustrious career. Not only that, the Williams sisters have nine Olympic medals between them, eight of them being gold medals and three being shared by the iconic tennis duo. Therefore, as Macci pointed out, no matter what the situation is, a winner always finds a way out. Especially when one has a father like King Richard.