‘She Felt Richard Needed to Improve’- Venus and Serena Williams’ Mother Oracene’s Forgotten Efforts Highlighted by Legendary Tennis Coach
Behind the legendary success of Serena and Venus Williams stand two unwavering pillars: their father’s visionary determination and their mother’s relentless belief. Richard Williams is often credited for his bold coaching strategy. However, their ex-coach sheds light on the crucial role played by Oracene Price. She not only supported Richard but also helped him analyze coaching gaps, ensuring their daughters’ path to greatness.
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Oracene discreetly worked in the background, offering stability and emotional support, while Richard Williams was the public face of their tennis journey. Her understanding of the sport enabled her to participate tactically as well, assisting in the overall improvement of the Williams sisters.
Rick Macci, who coached the Williams sisters when they were young, recently took to his X handle to share that mother Oracene played a huge role in their lives. He wrote, “Oracene took a deep dive in almost every practice and helped so much in the Molding the Education the Teaching and the overall Coaching that she felt Richard needed to improve! @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams.”
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Oracene took a deep dive in almost every practice and helped so much in the Molding the Education the Teaching and the overall Coaching that she felt Richard needed to improve! @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) September 29, 2024
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In an earlier post on X, Rick Macci lavished admiration on Oracene Price. Even in that post, he emphasized how, at every turn of Venus and Serena Williams’ voyage, Oracene had the girls’ back. “Orecene Williams always in the Background. Orecene Williams always the Backbone. Orecene Williams always had the girls’ Back. In every Backroom dispute with the KING, he would Backpeddle Back off and everything would be Back on track. @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams,” Macci wrote on X.
Venus and Serena Williams’ mental toughness was greatly influenced by Oracene Price. Oracene lost her first husband, Yusef Rasheed, to a heart attack in 1979. This experience left her with an unwavering resilience that shaped her kids’ upbringing. They learned how to handle pressure from her poise and capacity to overcome personal obstacles, which helped them in life and on the court.
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Rick Macci previously also talked affectionately about how Venus and Serena Williams never fought as children, even though they were fierce competitors.
Venus and Serena Williams never fought with each other
Venus and Serena Williams are inseparable; Rick Macci famously compared their relationship to that of “two peas in a pod.” He emphasized the sisters’ unwavering bond in all facets of life, and how their relationship went beyond the court.
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Macci stated, “They never fought as kids. Two peas in a pod. Always skipping holding hands smiling playing with dolls and stealing her food. On court always fought. Two pea shooters. Still smiling playing against the enemy but stealing points instead of food. @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams.”
The Williams sisters’ doubles partnership on the court was famous as they combined to win an amazing 14 Grand Slam titles. Together, they had an unrivaled chemistry and collaboration that allowed them to dominate the sport. In addition to their Grand Slam achievements, they excelled at the Olympics, taking home three gold medals in doubles competition in 2000, 2008, and 2012. But while they did all that, the foundation was laid by Richard and Oracene many, many years ago.
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Written by
Pratishtha Prakash
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Pratishtha Prakash, senior tennis writer and resident analyst at EssentiallySports isn’t just a sports journalist; she’s a storyteller who found her true calling in tennis content. It is something she seamlessly integrates into both her professional and personal realms. At ES, she has curated more than 2400 articles, and each write-up reflects that fans are here to stay! Having professional certifications in content and digital marketing, Pratishtha has made it a habit to hone her skills as a quality journalist.
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Edited by
Abhishek Rajan
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