Serena Williams & Venus Williams' ex-coach admits he had doubts duo would reach the top after 1st training session
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci has made his feelings known on the first practice session of the tennis sister duo -- Venus and Serena, as he spoke about their struggles and hard work to become some of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. He wrote a light-hearted post stating that he doubts if the two would make it to the top, but they were quick to flip his opinion.
Macci had been a constant source of strength for the Williams sisters from an early age. He has also spoken about their unwavering dedication towards the game, on various occasions.
"We first got on that ragged chipped up court and there was arms flying North legs flying South hair flying East and beads flying West and in that first hour in my wildest dreams did I think these two sisters would become the Best. @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams," he wrote on X.
Macci played a pivotal role in the success of the duo and was instrumental in shaping their mentality from a very young age. On his YouTube channel, he is often found sharing throwback videos of the sisters from when they were in his academy.
In one such video, he predicts the bright future that the young girls would have, owing to their competitive nature.
"I think the day will come that both kids might play each other in the finals of a grand slam," Macci said in the video from 1992.
As rightly predicted by their coach years before, the Williams sisters met each other on the court on 31 occasions with their head-to-head led by Serena 19-12.
Serena Williams and Venus Williams were successful in giving each other a tough time on court
The Williams Sisters went on to become two of the most decorated tennis players of this generation, with a combined 30 Grand Slam titles and 5 Olympic gold medals. However, their matches were always entertaining for the audience as they battled hard on the court.
The sisters clashed against one another for the first time at a pro stage, in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open. Older sister Venus, took home the victory in straight sets. However, Serena eventually caught up on the wins and led their head-to-head stat.
The duo also paired up for doubles matches and won 3 Olympic gold medals and 14 Grand Slam titles together.