Serena Williams' father Richard in awe of daughter's career achievements: "I could have never thought she could do as much"
Serena Williams' father Richard expressed his deep pride in the achievements of his daughter. He reflected on her life on and off the court and marveled at her accomplishments calling her an "unbelievable champion."
In an episode of the 23-time Grand Slam winner's docu-series 'In the Arena: Serena Williams' produced by ESPN, her father Richard spoke heartwarmingly about her remarkable journey.
In a clip from the episode posted on Instagram, Richard said:
"Today, when I look at Serena. It's just phenomenal. Matter of fact, when I think about what Serena has done, I could have never thought she could do as much as she could do. She's done so very well with herself and her family and on and on. I'm so proud of Serena for being a great, unbelievable champion."
Her father Richard was one of the most central characters in her and her sister Venus' tennis journey.
In addition to her 23 Grand Slam singles titles, Serena Williams has won 18 Grand Slam doubles titles. She has an Olympic gold medal in singles and three gold medals in women's doubles, all with her sister Venus.
Serena Williams respects her father Richard and mother Oracene Price for their "commitment" towards her tennis career
Born in Michigan to Oragene Price and Richard Williams, Serena Williams and her family moved to Compton, California when she was very young. She started playing tennis at the age of four.
Serena and Venus Williams were homeschooled and they experienced life outside California when the family moved to Florida and joined prominent coach Rick Macci's academy.
The girls dominated the junior tennis circuit under his tutelage. Serena then made her professional debut in 1995 and started playing regularly from 1997. Within two years, she won her first of 23 singles Grand Slam titles.
In a June 2024 interview with the New York Times, Serena opened up about the commitment it takes from a parent to help their children achieve something in life.
"It also takes a lot of commitment from the parent, and that’s why I have so much respect for my mom and my dad," the 42-year-old said.
However, she joked that things were different in her house with her seven-year-old daughter Olympia.
"Because I was like, “OK, Olympia, we’re going to play tennis every Wednesday.” And now I’m like, “Ugh.”," Williams added.
Serena Williams has expressed great belief in Olympia's potential, a sentiment shared by Venus. However, Serena feels she’s 'too soft' to train Olympia herself and has asked their father, Richard, to take on the role of coaching his granddaughter, just as he did with his daughters.