Serena Williams' ex-coach shares why her father Richard had other tennis parents beat with unexpected twist
Serena Williams' childhood coach Rick Macci shared a never-head-before anecdote about her father Richard. In it, the American detailed why Richard Williams had the best first serve of any parent among the children he taught.
Macci and Richard Williams developed an incredible friendship over the years, with Macci taking over as the coach for Richard's daughters Serena and Venus Williams.
Although the partnership got off to a turbulent start, Macci has since shared several insights into the personality of the Williams' sisters father that showed why they became closer as time went on.
Taking to social media on Thursday, the coach extraordinaire made another fascinating revelation. He started off by saying that Richard never missed a single first serve when firing balls at his daughters, an achievement that seems impossible to believe off the cuff.
Rick Macci, though, offered an unexpectedly hilarious twist to the story, revealing that Richard could accomplish this feet because he simply stood at the net while serving.
"Richard Williams had the best first serve of any parent of any kid I taught. His % was mind boggling and on a few days HE NEVER MISSED when firing Compton Bullets at Venus and Serena. His secret Compton sauce was he stood at the net," he wrote.
Serena Williams has credited her father Richard for teaching her valuable life skills
Serena Williams has never shied away from showing the world just how influential her father Richard was in her life. Among other things, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has credited her father for showing her the value of money and knowing how to manage her finances.
“I remember having to figure that out and having to learn how to manage from a very early age and not get crazy with it, and so he empowered us to do that," Williams said in a recent podcast interview with Bloomberg.
In fact, Richard Williams made sure that the former World No. 1 sat in the room while negotiating her multimillion dollar contract with Puma in the early 2000s, one of the biggest deals in sports history at the time.
"I’m 16, my dad is negotiating, they’re going back and forth, and he wants me there for the whole time to make sure I know what to do in the future," Williams fondly remembered.
After an incredible career that lasted more than two decades, Serena Williams retired in tennis in 2022, with her last appearance coming at the US Open.