Learn all about Richard Williams – the father of the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus
Know everything you need to know about Richard Williams – father of Venus Williams and Serena Williams, the famous Williams sisters who have dominated the tennis court for the last two decades now.
The Williams sisters are arguably the greatest tennis stars to ever grace this game. The duo during their peak were unbeatable and unplayable and their trophy cabinet is enough to tell how excellent they were.
Venus has won 49 singles titles throughout her career, while Serena has won 73. Serena is the younger one of two and when it comes to career – she had a better one than her elder one.
In 2021, Richard, who served as Williams sister coach as well, became the inspiration of the movie, King Richard! The movie follows Venus and Serena’s childhood and also reveals how their father made them into superstars who are loved by the fans.
Will Smith plays the role of Richard while Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton have played Venus and Serena respectively.
Who is the father of Venus and Serena Williams?
The 79-year old Richard Williams is the proud dad of the Williams sister. Apart from being their father, he is their tennis coach as well. He started giving the coaching to her daughter when he saw Virginia Ruzici playing on television.
Ruzici is a former tennis star who won the 1978 French Open. After seeing her play – Richard decided that both Venus and Serena will become tennis professionals in the future. And his dream surely came true.
He made both the sister start their training when they were as little as four and a half. He then made them join the tennis academy but soon pulled them out of it and took the coaching burden on his shoulders.
Richard Williams personal life
Richard is married three times as of now and all of his marriages have ended up in a divorce. When he moved to California from his hometown Shreveport, Louisiana, he got married to Betty Johnson in 1965. The couple had five children before they decided to part ways in 1973, eight years after marriage.
In 1979, he met Oracene “Brandy” Price and decided to tie the Nuptial knot with her in 1980. The couple then has two daughters – Venus and Serena. Richard and Oracene decided to take divorce in 2002.
He raised a few eyebrows when he was linked with then-girlfriend Lakeisha Juanita Graham, who was just one year elder than his daughter Venus. Both of them decided to get married in 2017 and has one son. Richard then divorced her as well in 2017.
Richard Williams Early Life
Richard was born on February 14, 1942, in Shreveport, Louisiana. After he graduated from high school, he moved to Saginaw, Michigan, before eventually relocating to California where he met his first wife.
More about Venus and Serena playing careers
As told earlier, Venus has won 49 singles titles, while Serena has 73 titles up her sleeves during their respective careers. When it comes to the number of Grand Slam titles – Serena is way ahead of anyone in the history of this sport. She has won 23 titles while elder Venus has 7 to her name.
Both of them have also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, while they also have three doubles gold medals at the Olympics. When it comes to mixed double – Serena and Venus both have 2 titles in their trophy cabinet.
Venus’ net worth is around $95 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Meanwhile, Serena Williams has a massive worth of $220 million.
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The duo has had an exceptional career on the court thanks to their dedication to the game. But no one should forget the amount of hard work their father has done to make sure who they are today. The love for the game from Richard is one of the most important reasons why the world knows Venus and Serena Williams.
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