Venus Williams is giving fans a rare glimpse into her childhood.
On Instagram, the 40-year-old tennis star honored her dad and tennis coach, Richard Dove Williams Jr., for his impact on the tennis world by sharing a throwback pic. Williams captioned the post, "My dad wasn’t afraid to take a risk and do something never done before in the sport of tennis. Always take the risk and the leap, it pays off. Thank you dad so grateful! #tbt #blackhistorymonth #family."
In the photo, her dad is seen pulling a cart of tennis balls, and inside the cart is a very happy Venus wielding a tennis racket. One fan wrote, "So much respect for your Dad and what he instilled in you and your sister." Another added, "Your dad is LEGENDARY."
According to reports, the famous dad is getting his own biopic, entitled King Richard. Will Smith is set to play the title role, while Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton will play Venus and Serena Williams, respectively.
During a recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Venus briefly discussed the film, which will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in November. She said, "It's really about my dad and how he literally changed the game, and how this started. He's a revolutionary kind of person and I love him to death.”
The athlete also added that his upbringing during the Jim Crow era had a major impact on how he raised her and her sister, Serena. Venus added, "He wanted us to have these opportunities he didn’t have, and so he encouraged entrepreneurship, so I started my own active wear company."
Considering that both of his daughters are now sports legends, we'd say that Richard nailed the whole fatherhood (and coaching) thing.
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