Venus & Serena Williams co-produced documentary on 1971 women's soccer World Cup gets opening night premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
The documentary Serena Williams and Venus Williams co-produced about the 1971 women's World Cup has its world premiere on the opening night of the Toronto International Film Festival.
In order to co-sponsor the documentary, Williams sisters joined hands as executive producers with Westbrook Studios founded by Oscar winner Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
This collaboration marks their second with Westbrook Studios, as they had previously worked together on the biopic 'King Richard' in 2021, which was about the Williams sisters' father.
Serena Williams shared her excitement about 'Copa 71' being accepted at the Toronto International Film Festival on her Instagram story.
The tennis greats sat down in an interview with ‘Variety Magazine’ where they talked about how they got inspired to co-produce this documentary. Serena Williams expressed how surprised she was that this magical story had been left untold.
“Copa 71’ tells the story of one of the most inspirational and significant moments in women’s sports history. It's an honor to partner with my sisters and Westbrook Studios to help bring this magical story to light, which has been buried for far too long.”
On her part, Venus admitted to being excited to be able to elevate and empower fellow female athletes by giving them a voice and platform through the documentary.
“When I heard about the 1971 Women’s World Cup, I couldn’t believe this incredible story was erased from our history books. I’m excited to team with my sisters and Westbrook Studios to help elevate and empower fellow female athletes and their accomplishments, and to make sure these women have their voices heard through this inspiring documentary.”
Chris Eubanks credits Serena Williams
Chris Eubanks had a dream run at the Wimbledon Championships reaching the quarterfinals after beating the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Chris Norrie. The American credited Serena Williams along with Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff and Kim Cljisters for inspiring him and setting an example for him as to how his mentality should be when he steps on a tennis court.
"I think greatness knows no gender, and one of the things I have from my time around Naomi, Serena, Coco, Kim, some of the greatest tennis players. Their mentality is one of the craziest things that I found to be so, so different, and I can see there is a common theme, a common trend amongst really all of them.”
Serena Williams continues to be an inspiration for not only her peers but also the younger generation of tennis players. As a 23-time Major champion, she has left a significant impact on the sport, and her influence on and off the court will likely continue to motivate and shape the future of American tennis.