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Probably the most incredible success story to come out from the sport of tennis over the past couple of decades, the rise of Venus and Serena Williams from being no-one to becoming tennis’ most beloved champions was a story filled with struggle and hope intertwined together.

While the accomplishments of Williams sisters are cherished by every tennis fan across the globe, here, we try to know about their mother, Oracene Price, who is the main pillar behind the sisters success alongside father, Richard Williams.

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Oracene Price was highly instrumental in shaping up the careers of Venus and Serena Williams

The story of Oracene began when she married Richard and moved from Compton, California to Florida to lay tennis foundation for their daughters, Serena and Venus. This decision was taken after the American coach Rick Macci offered to coach both the young girls for free.

To support her husband, Oracene got to know everything about tennis in order to teach both the Williams’ sisters. With Mr. Williams already being a tennis coach himself, the expertise from Price only helped the household in establishing a strong foundation for both Serena and Venus.

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Just when both Serena and Venus have made their mark on the WTA tour and began to take over the tennis world by storm, Oracene announced separation from Richard Williams. But, the couple never let their divorce affect the Williams sisters as they could be seen in the stands in almost all their matches.

Born on April 3rd 1952, Oracene completed her graduation from Western Michigan University. She got married to Yusef Rasheed and had three daughters – Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha Price. After the death of Yusef, Oracene got married to Richard Williams.

Oracene also gets involved in societal work through charities

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Having played a vital role in the careers of Serena and Venus Williams, Oracene Price was also instrumental in bringing up a change in society by establishing OWLa charitable foundation that aimed at striving to provide education to children with learning problems.

With father Richard Williams taking care of the technical aspects of the game, Oracene found herself teaching her daughters about the psychological side of the game. She always made sure to take the pressure off Venus and Serena and allowed them to enjoy the sport as much as possible.

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From rags to riches, Oracene Price’s journey with her daughters Venus and Serena is exemplary and will remain one of the most told stories of standing together as a ‘family’ to achieve a mammoth dream.

Also read: Serena Williams Reveals the Reason Behind Making a Movie on Her Father