Richard Williams once expressed his admiration for his daughter Venus Williams, calling her a “blessing” to him and his ex-wife, Oracene Price. He credited Venus with “saving tennis,” believing the sport was dark and lackluster before her rise to prominence.

Venus and Serena dominated the sport for over two decades, sharing many titles. While Serena’s record of 23 Slams might overshadow Venus’ seven, Venus’ contributions and legacy remain monumental and will be celebrated for generations.

The sisters’ success is often credited to their father, Richard, their first coach, and their mother, Oracene, who supported them at every step. Richard was a proud father as, appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2002, he praised Venus, saying:

“God blessed me with Oracene to be able to bring Venus down. She came down and saved tennis. Tennis is so far back in the Dark Ages, it’s disgraceful. It’s the only sport that you can play in which people say, ‘Shhhhh shhhhh be quiet, be quiet.’ Who wants to come to something you got to sit there like you’re a 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 and be quiet?”

“Let’s stomp some feet and get this tennis thing going to BOOMING! If not, Venus and Serena gonna be gone and your game gonna be dead,” he added.