Richard Williams (tennis coach) facts for kids
Williams at the 2007 Acura Classic
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| Full name | Richard Dove Williams Jr. |
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| Born | February 14, 1942 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Coaching career (1994–present) | |
| Coaching achievements | |
| Coachee singles titles total | 49(V)-73(S) (122 titles) |
| Coachee(s) doubles titles total | 21(S-V)-2(V)-5(S) (28 titles) |
| List of notable tournaments (with champion)
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| Coaching awards and records | |
| Records | |
Richard Dove Williams Jr. (born February 14, 1942) is an American former tennis coach. He is best known as the father and coach of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams.
Contents
Early Life
Richard Williams was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the oldest of five children. His family worked as sharecroppers, which means they farmed land owned by others. After finishing high school, he moved to Saginaw, Michigan, and later to California.
Tennis Coaching
Richard Williams decided his future daughters would be tennis champions. This idea came to him after watching tennis player Virginia Ruzici on TV. He created a detailed 85-page plan for their training.
He started teaching Venus and Serena tennis when they were four and a half years old. They practiced on public tennis courts. In 1995, Richard took his daughters out of a tennis academy. He decided to coach them himself.
His coaching led to amazing success for his daughters. Serena won the US Open in 1999. Venus won the Wimbledon title in 2000. After Venus's victory, Richard famously celebrated. He jumped over a TV broadcasting booth, surprising commentator Chris Evert.
Personal Life
Richard Williams has spoken about his difficult childhood. He also shared his experiences with racism. He has said that his faith helped him through tough times.
He married Betty Johnson in 1965. They had five children together. They divorced in 1973.
In 1979, he met Oracene "Brandy" Price. They married in 1980. Oracene had three daughters from a previous relationship. Richard and Oracene had two daughters: Venus (born 1980) and Serena (born 1981). Both Venus and Serena became world-famous tennis champions. The family lived in Compton, California. Richard and Oracene divorced in 2002.
Richard Williams later had a son with Lakeisha Williams. They separated in 2017. He also has another son from a different relationship.
Richard Williams has written two books. One is his life story, called Black and White: The Way I See It (2014). The other is about race and tennis, titled Richard Williams: Tennis and Race in the United States (2020). He has also been featured in documentaries and media. In 2016, he had a stroke. He was reported to have had two strokes by 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Richard Williams (entrenador de tenis) para niños
