Venus and Serena Williams knew from a very young age that they could do great things: Mary Carillo
Venus and Serena Williams have often been credited for ushering a whole different kind of power-packed tennis into the women's game. The Williams sisters have a total of 30 singles Grand Slam titles between them, and according to former player Mary Carillo, their dominance is rooted in the qualities instilled into them when they were young.
In a recent conversation with Zina Garrison and Chanda Rubin, hosts of a weekly podcast, Carillo said both Serena and Venus were told from a very young age how great they were. The American sportcaster also claimed that while many athletes did not realize their full potential until late in life, the Williams sisters always came across as people who believed that they could accomplish great things.
"Here's something about Serena and Venus, they were given so much confidence when they were kids from their parents, especially Richard, who told them how great they were," Carillo said. "You know, a lot of the times, great athletes do things before they are ready, before they even know they can do it. But with both Venus and Serena, I always got that feeling that they knew from a very young age that they could it."
Mary Carillo went on to add that she always felt a sense of excitement watching Venus and Serena Williams on the tennis court. Carillo found watching the two compete "very special", as they would repeatedly give fans a look into their fierce fighting skills and their "deep ambition".
"I especially get excited when I know I'm watching something very special," Carillo said. "And for both Serena and Venus, I knew how good I had it, I knew what a good seat I had in the house. And they just kept showing us, what kind of fighters they were, how deep their ambition was."
"Serena Williams lets you know how she is feeling on court" - Mary Carillo
During the conversation, Mary Carillo also briefly spoke about Serena Williams' expressive on-court personality. Carillo acknowledged that Serena wears her heart on her sleeve during her matches, but was quick to add that that was a big part of what watching made her play a "great pleasure".
"I mean it was as much fun to watch Serena in between points as it was when she was playing them," Carillo quipped. "There was nothing, like, fixed about Serena, she'd let you know how she was feeling."
"That was also one of the great pleasures, you know," she continued. "That I have gotten to watch their whole act."