Richard Dove Williams Jr.[1] (born February 14, 1942)[2] is a former American tennis coach and the father of tennis players Venus Williams and Serena Williams.

Richard Williams

Williams at the 2007 Acura Classic
Full name	Richard Dove Williams Jr.
Born	(1942-02-14) February 14, 1942 (age 80) Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Coaching career (1994–present)
Venus Williams, Serena Williams
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) Career Golden Slam – Singles (Serena) 7× Australian Open (Serena) 3× French Open (Serena) 12× Wimbledon (Williams sisters) 8× US Open (Williams sisters) 2× Olympic Gold Medal (Williams sisters) 6× WTA Tour Championships (Williams sisters) 28× WTA Tier I/Premier Mandatory/Premier 5 (Williams sisters) Career Golden Slam – Doubles (Williams sisters) 4× Australian Open (Williams sisters) 2× French Open (Williams sisters) 5x Wimbledon (Williams sisters) 2× US Open (Williams sisters) 3× Olympic Gold Medal Fed Cup champions (Williams sisters) 2× Hopman Cup (Serena) List of titles
Coaching awards and records
Records Venus Williams § Records and achievements Serena Williams § Other records and achievements

Early life

Williams is the oldest of five children[3] and the only son of Julia Mae (née Metcalf) and Richard Dove Williams of Shreveport, Louisiana. His younger sisters are Pat, Barbara, Penny, and Faye.[1] After graduating from high school he moved to Saginaw, Michigan[3] and then to California.[4]

Tennis coaching

Williams took tennis lessons from a man known as "Old Whiskey" and decided his future daughters would be tennis professionals after seeing Virginia Ruzici playing on television.[2][5] Williams said that he wrote up an 85-page plan and started giving lessons to Venus and Serena when they were four and a half, taking them to practice on public tennis courts.[6] Williams later added that he felt he took them too early and age six would have been more suitable.[4] In 1995, Williams withdrew his daughters from a tennis academy and coached them himself.[7] Within a few years, they were winning grand slam tournaments.

Serena won the US Open in 1999 and Venus beat Lindsay Davenport to win the 2000 Wimbledon title. After that victory, Richard shouted "Straight Outta Compton!", in reference to a song by N.W.A based in Compton, California, the same area in Los Angeles where the family once resided.[8] He jumped over the NBC broadcasting booth, catching Chris Evert by surprise and performing a triumphant dance. Evert said that the broadcasters "thought the roof was coming down".[8]

Personal life

Williams has been married three times.

After moving to California he met Betty Johnson. They married in 1965 and had five children, three sons and two daughters: Sabrina, Richard III, Ronner, Reluss, and Reneeka, who were raised alongside Betty's other daughter, Katrina.[9][2] Williams and Johnson divorced in 1973.

In 1979, he met Oracene "Brandy" Price, who had three daughters from a previous relationship. They married in 1980 and had two daughters, Venus (born June 17, 1980) and Serena (born September 26, 1981). The family resided in Compton, California. Richard and Oracene divorced in 2002.

Richard then met grocery store owner Lakeisha Juanita Graham, and they married in 2010.[10][4] They have a son.[11] They divorced in 2017.[12][10]

Williams has a son, Chavoita, from a relationship outside his marriages.[12]

In July 2016, Williams suffered a stroke. At the time his then-wife, Lakeisha Williams, stated that his condition was stable.[13] In 2022, Williams was reported to have had two strokes.[12][14]

In popular culture

The biographical film, King Richard, starring Will Smith as Richard Williams, was released on November 19, 2021 in theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures and streaming on HBO Max.[15] The film was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin. Venus and Serena served as executive producers.

Smith received critical acclaim for his performance and won numerous awards, including the 2022 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role,[16] Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama[17] and the Screen Actor's Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture.[18]

Books

• With Bart Davis (2014). Black and White: The Way I See It. New York: Atria Books. ISBN 978-1476704203.[19]

References

External links

• SportsIllustrated.com, about the Indian Wells incident
• Women's tour CEO reacts to Richard Williams' remarks on racism