Richard Williams

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Richard Williams

Williams at the 2007 Acura Classic
Current position
Coach of	Venus Williams, Serena Williams
Biographical details
Born	(1942-02-16) February 16, 1942 (age 70) Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
Coaching career (1994–)
Coaching achievements
Coachee Singles Titles total	43(V)-37(S) (80 titles)
Coachee(s) Doubles Titles total	19(S-V)-2(V)-5(S) (26 titles)
List of notable tournaments (with champion)	1999 Fed Cup champions (Williams sisters) 2003, 2008 Hopman Cup champions (Serena) Gold medal (2000S (Venus), 2000D, 2008D) List of titles
Accomplishments and honors
Records Venus Williams#Records and achievements Serena williams#Other records and achievements

Richard Williams (born February 16, 1942 ^[1]) is an American tennis coach, and the father of Venus and Serena Williams.

Biography

Williams is one of six children and only son of single mother Julia Mae Williams. He has been known to exaggerate aspects of his upbringing. A childhood friend told Sports Illustrated writer L. Jon Wertheim that Julia did not grow cotton, as Richard has claimed. Williams also claimed to be a star athlete in high school, but no records of his exploits exist.^[1]

After graduating from high school, Williams moved to California, where he met a woman named Betty Johnson, whom he married in 1965. They had two daughters and three sons before divorcing in 1973.^[1] Williams met Oracene Price in 1979, who had three daughters by her late husband. They married in 1980 after Venus was born.^[1] They lived for a time in Lansing, Michigan, but eventually moved to Compton.

Williams decided his daughters would be tennis professionals when he saw Virginia Ruzici playing on television.^[1] He began taking Venus and Serena to the public tennis courts, then soon got them into Shreveport tennis tournaments. In 1995, Richard pulled them out of a tennis academy, and coached them himself.

Serena won the US Open in 1999; Venus beat Lindsay Davenport to win the 2000 Wimbledon title. After that victory, Richard shouted "Straight Outta Compton!" (in reference to a song by NWA based on an area in Los Angeles) and 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".^{[citation needed]}

Later in the careers of Venus and Serena, Richard has taken a less visible role turning to other interests such as photography. In his deflating notoriety however, he did raise interests after his divorce from Oracene Price and his appearances with new girlfriend Lakeisha Graham. Richard and Lakeisha were married in 2009 and are reportedly expecting a baby.

Richard, Lakesha and Oracene are frequently seated together in the players box at WTA tennis tournaments.

References

External links

• SportsIllustrated.com, about the Indian Wells incident
• http://www.sportsline.com/tennis/story/10725357