Even though Serena Williams and her sister Venus Williams have not played in the second half of 2021, they’re still the talk of the town. This, they owe to the publicity around the newly-released movie ‘King Richard’. The oscar-contend biographical drama tells the story of Richard Williams, the father of the Williams sisters.

The movie chronicles how Richard Williams spared no effort in training his daughters and making them world champions. From their childhood, we see how Venus made a name for herself before rising to the top gradually. There is a special focus on the people who helped the sisters along their way.

Venus Williams was trained by none other than Rick Macci

Venus Williams managed to bag a coaching contract with legendary tennis coach Rick Macci in Florida. A master tennis professional, Macci was known for developing and coaching great players who went on to become top seeds.

According to the movie, during Macci’s contract negotiations with the Williamses, he agreed to take Venus on for free. He was so certain of Venus’ skill and her success, that he staked it all for a 15% cut of her would-be salary.

The movie also shows how Macci had to take the entire Williams family with him to Florida in order to coach Venus. Hee didn’t hesitate from doing so, as sure as he was about Venus being the next ‘Michael Jordan’ of tennis.

When asked if there was any account inaccurate in the movie, Rick Macci, in an interview with Esquire, replied that there wasn’t- “Not really. I mean, they nailed it…”

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What has become a talking point after the movie’s release, is Macci’s net worth. This has been due to the scenes between Venus and Macci that involved the contract negotiations.

Does Macci really get 15% of the sisters’ earnings?

As of 2021, Rick Macci is estimated to have a net worth of around $2 million. Even though there is no evidence for or against the depiction of the fifteen percent cut, Macci’s students still earn a lot more.

Venus and Serena are not the only World No. 1 players that Macci has trained in his career. Huge names like Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick, and even Maria Sharapova have been students of Macci in the past. That is certainly a portfolio that speaks for itself.

The world has now seen just how influential Rick Macci was in changing the face of women’s tennis forever. He recognized the talent that both Venus and Serena had and cultivated it. Consequently, Rick Macci will forever be etched in history as the coach of the two greatest female tennis stars in the world.

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