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‘Even the Dog Loved to Be on the Court’- Serena Williams’ Childhood Coach Harks Back to Compton Times to Dish Out ‘King Richard’ Lesson

Published 03/03/2024, 11:17 AM EST

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Acclaimed tennis coach Rick Macci recalls one of the most distinguished qualities that the champion sisters, Venus and Serena Williams’ father had. Talking about the importance of creating a healthy ‘working environment’, Macci emphasized the vital role that Richard Williams played in their remarkable success.

The bond between King Richard and Macci was rocky but grew significantly stronger as the GOAT sibling duo prepared to dominate the tennis world. Let’s see what the seven-time USPTA national coach says about Richards’s role as the greatest dad to his talented daughters.

Richard Williams promised that he won’t get Rick Macci shot

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Rick Macci, who played a crucial role in shaping Serena and Venus Williams into the tennis icons they are today, shared a remarkable story about King Richard. Taking to Twitter, Macci shed light on the multifaceted approach Richard took in raising his daughters. In his tweet, Macci revealed Richard’s unique training quality, stating, The best quality of Richard Williams is he Never made the girls practice. We created such a FUN POSITIVE HARD WORKING ENVIRONMENT that Venus Serena and even the Dog Loved to be on the court and Smile to hopefully someday go that extra Mile.”

Looking back to reveal how Richard’s one-liners hit the mark, Macci said that he was invited to visit Compton to meet the Williams sisters. However, Macci had apprehensions owing to the reputation of the city and expressed them to Richard. To which Richard jokingly quips, Hey Rick, I promise I won’t get you shot.”

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Macci has earlier also revealed that Richard Williams recognized the importance of providing his daughters with a well-rounded education alongside their championship pursuits.

Read More: Obscure Tale Discloses Serena Williams’ ‘Green Day’ Frenzy as Childhood Coach Sheds Light on the American’s 11-Year-Old Antics

This is not the first time a coach has hailed and noted Richard Williams’ efforts or training techniques to highlight his greatness as a tennis dad and coach. However, did you know that Richard even taught his daughters to play football?

Richard Williams Taught Venus And Serena Football

In an episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, she lauded Richard Williams for teaching football to his daughters, in addition to tennis. She believes that their football training had a vital impact on Venus and Serena’s service motion.

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During the podcast, Stubbs revealed the importance of the service motion and noted Richard Williams as a prime example of effective parenting in tennis coaching, despite lacking formal training in the sport. She remarked, “Did Richard know anything about tennis? No.” She continues, “He taught her to throw football. If you can’t throw a football, you probably can’t serve very well.”

Stubbs proposed that acquiring the skills of throwing a football can contribute to developing the correct service motion technique. She states, “If you have a really good serving technique, I bet you know how to throw a football.”

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As noted time and again by many tennis coaches, Richard Williams’ unique techniques were actually what made him arguably the most successful tennis parent on the planet. What are your thoughts on this?

‘He Was More About Life Lessons’: Rick Macci Details an Untold ‘King Richard’ Story Featuring Venus and Serena Williams

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Written by:

Anubhav Bhandari

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Anubhav Bhandari is a Tennis writer at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Anubhav skillfully arranges words to craft intriguing lines and weaves diverse sentences into compelling stories. Blending his sporting experience with storytelling prowess, he produces articles that resonate with readers.
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Edited by:

Shudh Mukherjee