5 bold quotes Serena Williams and Venus Williams have said about their father Richard over the years

(L) Serena Williams, (R) Venus Williams and (inset) Richard Williams. (Photos: Getty)

Venus and Serena Williams are two of the most decorated athletes not only in tennis but also across all sports. The two have won 30 Grand Slam titles between them in singles, along with 14 Major titles in doubles. Each of them has won four Olympic gold medals as well.

The sisters have always credited their father, Richard Williams, as being the driving force behind their rapid rise to superstardom. He coached them from a young age and had a vision that the sisters would be the next big thing in tennis. He didn’t stop until he achieved that dream.

While their father has become more of a recluse over the years, the Williams sisters still speak highly of him whenever the opportunity presents itself. Here are five bold quotes that Venus and Serena Williams have said with respect to their father over the years:

“This is a guy who’s for his family, for his daughters, ride or die, no matter what” – Venus Williams
Richard Williams’ brash persona definitely ruffled some feathers during the meteoric rise of his daughters. While he was often criticized for his antics, his foremost focus remained the success and well-being of his daughters.

Venus Williams highlighted this point during the promotion of the movie “King Richard“, a biopic based on how her father turned the siblings into tennis greats. During an interview with ABC News in 2021, she stated that while the world at large didn’t fully understand him, they eventually did come to realize that he would do anything for his family, especially his daughters.

“People didn’t understand him but I think that it didn’t take long for people to realize that this is a guy who’s for his family, for his daughters, ride or die, no matter what,” Venus Williams said.

Richard Williams was fiercely protective of his family. The most visible example of this was when he interrupted an interview to chastise an interviewer who tried to break down Venus Williams’ confidence as a 14-year old.

“My dad was and still is way before his time” – Serena Williams
Richard and Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2012. (Photo: Getty)Richard and Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2012. (Photo: Getty)

Richard Williams anticipated how the world could possibly treat two young African-American girls in a sport that was mostly dominated by Caucasians in the 1990s. Even though the world threw plenty of obstacles at him and his family, he never wavered from his goal of making his daughters into tennis superstars.

Serena Williams acknowledged the same in a chat with GQ magazine in the lead-up to the release of “King Richard“. She credited her father for having the foresight and being a forward thinking man to shield them from potential adversities and focus on the bigger picture.

“My dad was and still is way before his time. You see, when someone is different—when they don’t act or look how a person assumed they would—the first reaction is often fear. They think, How do we break them? My dad anticipated that, but he would not allow himself or his family to be broken,” Serena Williams said.

Richard Williams definitely distinguished himself from other parents who coached their children and has the most impressive record as a parent-coach. His decision to allow the girls to skip the junior circuit was regarded controversial at that point but he stuck to his guns, and the rest is history.