Tag: Special

Serena Williams recently took a moment to celebrate her special bond with her father Richard, whom she has long credited as the driving force behind her legendary tennis career. The former World No. 1 enjoyed a family day with her father, her husband Alexis Ohanian, and their daughters.

Williams took to social media and shared an endearing clip, beaming as she posed with her father. The 23-time Grand Slam champion’s elder daughter Olympia adorably joined the duo for a sweet snap, with her husband Alexis Ohanian and younger daughter Adira also present during their fun family outing.

“Family bonds,” she captioned her Instagram post.

Serena Williams enjoys a close bond with her father Richard, often crediting him for relentlessly pushing her and her sister Venus Williams during their childhood. However, the 43-year-old has acknowledged that she struggled to give that same motivation to her daughters.

In a 2024 interview with the New York Times, the former World No. 1 confessed that while she would be “devastated” if she didn’t push her daughters as hard as her father had pushed her, she found it difficult to do so because of how young and adorable Olympia and Adira were.

“That’s a really good question. I don’t know. I always look at my dad, and I think, How were you able to do that? Because I’m like, Oh, they’re so cute. I just want them to relax and I don’t want to over-push them. But I would be devastated if I wasn’t pushed, because we wouldn’t be having this interview and there would never have been a Serena Williams,” she said.

“So I feel so fortunate that I had an opportunity to have that extra oomph. But for whatever reason, I’m having a hard time connecting to that extra push, and that’s something I’ve been trying to figure out myself, how to give that extra motivation to my daughters, because it’s definitely worth it, I can confirm from experience,” she added.

Serena Williams on daughter Olympia’s tennis talent: “I already told my dad, ‘Maybe you have to coach her’”

During the same interview, Serena Williams lavished praise on her daughter Olympia’s natural athletic ability, disclosing that even Venus Williams acknowledged that the seven-year-old possessed more talent than both of them combined.

However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion confessed that she was “too nice” to harness her daughter’s talent and disclosed that she had already told her father that he would have to be the one to coach Olympia in tennis.

“The 8-month-old is so tiny, but Olympia is such a bright light, and she’s so athletic, to the point where it’s just not even humanly possible. Even Venus, she was like, “That kid has more talent than you and I combined,” and she’s not lying,” Serena Williams said.

“So I can see how my dad may have seen some potential in us. I’m just trying to figure out a way to harness all that. I already told my dad, “Maybe you have to coach her, because I’m too nice,” she added.

Serena Williams further emphasized that she had immense respect for her parents due to the unwavering commitment they displayed towards her and Venus Williams’ tennis careers from a young age.