In pictures: On the occasion of Father's Day, top tennis players and the wonderful fathers who stood by them on their journey ft. Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams' dads
Tennis fathers hold a special place in the sport. Yesterday saw the celebration of father's day around the globe, with many players' fathers have played a significant role in their careers. Athletes like Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams' fathers and their contributions to their careers were crucial to their success.
Arguably the most prolific tennis father is Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus Williams. Richard Williams was instrumental in their development as players and their early-career success. His contributions towards their daughters' careers were captured on film in the movie King Richard, which was nominated for six Oscar awards.
Rafael Nadal's father Sebastian Nadal has also been one of the pillars in the life of the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Sebastian Nadal is a businessman with a vested interest in multiple ventures, including insurance and a glass company. Despite his busy schedule, you often see Sebastian Nadal attending his son's matches, especially at Grand Slams.
Roger Federer might be the ultimate role model in the sport due to his immaculate behaviour. However, that wasn't always the case as he attributed the change in his on-court behaviour to his father, Robert Federer. The 40-year-old was prone to outbursts, smashing racquets and quarreling with the umpire.
The Swiss maestro recalled how his poor behaviour in his teens left his father disappointed with his attitude. It reached its breaking point one day after practice and his father gave him some money and asked Roger to get home by himself. The 20-time Grand Slam champion believes that this is when his attitude began changing for the good.
Another superstar of the sport that picked up a tennis racquet is Iga Świątek. The World No. 1 credits her father Tomasz Świątek for introducing her to the sport, as Tomasz Świątek was keen to see his daughters nurture their talents in sports and tennis in particular.
Tomasz Świątek is no stranger to the life of an athlete as he was an Olympian and represented Poland in rowing. He competed in the men's quadruple sculls event at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in which Poland won the "B" Final to finish seventh overall.
Other tennis stars who have been influenced heavily by their fathers
Like the aforementioned tennis players, the likes of Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Coco Gauff along with others have attributed their success to their fathers. Alexander Zverev Sr. raised two boys in Sascha and Mischa as both followed in their father's footsteps and picked up tennis.
Zverev's father continues to play an important role in his career and has been in the German's box throughout the calendar for several years.
Apostolos Tsitsipas, the father of World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas, is also his head coach and is a crucial factor in Stefanos' success as a player. Apostolos Tsitsipas has spoken about the night when a young Stefanos told him that he wanted to make a career out of the sport.
"After winning a tournament in Normandy, I remember the night we flew to Greece, he wasn't sleeping, he was super excited and he came up to me and said he just wanted to play tennis and do nothing else in his life, because he felt so good on a tennis court," Apostolos said.
Corey Gauff, the father of Coco Gauff, has often been credited with handling the fame and money that has come in the way of their daughter and keeping her focused on the sport. Coco Gauff broke into the scene at such a young age and has credited her dad for his support.