“Thank Heaven for little girls, they grow up in the most delightful ways,” sings Maurice Chevalier in the classic movie ‘Gigi’. A most appropriate tribute song for tennis sisters Venus and Serena, only that refrain is best edited to…”they grow up in the most ‘winning’ ways.”
(Video of the song can be found at the bottom of this post.)
This story is about the time a man with a vision who saw it through to total fulfilment‼ Richard Williams, the father of tennis phenoms Venus and Serena, made the successful journey from a man who self-taught himself tennis fundamentals and then developed two Tennis Champions who changed the women’s game.
While only youngsters, the tennis world was swirling with rumblings about their athletic ability…
but only Father knew best about their champion acumen.
Venus and Serena Williams won their first Olympic gold medal in doubles at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
Early on Richards describes Venus as a Champion-To-Be, he said: “…she possesses the four qualities all champions have naturally – Rough, Tough, Strong; and mentally, unbelievably Sound.”
Yet he reserved speaking of greatness for his comments about Serena. Father Richard predicted her tenacity would enable her to soar: “…so strong, once she gets a hold of you she never let’s go and plays with anger better than any athlete‼
Watch and listen to the Williams Sisters, though adolescents, speak boldly and clearly of their dreams. Venus at the time only 12 had won all 63 of her junior tennis matches.
And not to be outdone in accomplishments 11-year-old little sister Serena had claimed victory in all but two of her 52 matches.
Venus Williams realizes her childhood dream of winning Wimbledon – five times over.
Let’s speak of dreams…the dream of Venus then was to win the title on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon; and, for Serena, the desire to lift the trophy at the grand slam of her home country, the US Open.
2014 US Open: Serena ties Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova with 18 Grand Slam titles.
The rest is a kind of amazing history, the achievement of both an America Dream along with a father’s belief he had champions-in-the making…still being played out, before our very delightful eyes. The sisters now in their 30s, continue to stun the tennis establishment and fans the world over.
Gold medalists again in the 2012 Olympic Games in London: Serena and Venus Williams of the US are all smiles during the medal ceremony for the Women’s Doubles Tennis. (August 4, 2012 – Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe)
For now…let’s go back to the time of the beginning of the careers of Venus and Serena Williams – two little girls from Compton – and their musings as they look to the future:
AND THANK HEAVEN FOR VENUS AND SERENA WILLIAMS…
and all joy they’ve given to us on court, bringing excellence in every match, and a reality that dreams matched with drive do come true‼ Now time to share that musical moment from one of my favorite movies – ‘Gigi’:
Frank Herholdt shot the Nabisco campaign that featured Venus and Serena Williams endorsing the Nabisco Calorie Saving Snacks. Great Photo Advertisement was the end result. FABULOSO‼
VENUS WILLIAMS…first African American woman to become World#1 in 2002: a Woman of Conviction and a Champion on-and-off the court! Wearing jacket from her OlaCollection▬EleVenByVenus.
Earlier her sister Serena Williams announced her return this year to the tournament formerly known as “Indian Wells”; as for elder sister Venus, Tennis X.com reports that while in Dubai she stated that she won’t be participating in the 2015 event.
“I made my schedule up,” Venus said last week in Dubai. “I think I’m entered in Miami, and that’s pretty much what it is.“I haven’t really given a lot of thought to (playing Indian Wells). I have just been focusing on this year.”
In regards to her younger sister’s decision, when queried about how much they discussed the tennis tournament which saw the Williams’ family viciously taunted by fans in 2001, including racist taunts, Venus reportedly said :
“She just said, I might be playing there. I said, Oh, okay. That’s pretty much the conversation,” Venus said. ” I just respect every decision she makes, pretty much. It’s nothing complicated about it.
Venus Williams and her father, Richard, were heckled by fans during the 2001 Indian Wells final, in which Serena was also booed loudly. (Source: Reuters)
MORE ABOUT INDIAN WELLS…Visit Blog post: “That Day in History when Fans at Indian Wells Disgraced America: Tennis Establishment never publicly Apologizes to the Williams Sisters→http://wp.me/p1O3xi-QL
There was a moment in the Doha Open that brought to mind a James Brown song
“Papa Don’t Take No Mess” – when Venus Williams showed the world that she is very much her father Richard’s daughter!
Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, gives the ‘Black Power’ salute to raucous Indian Wells fans in 2001.
Venus after winning her second round marathon match was met at the net by opponent Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova – apparently upset about some calls that went against her when Venus used the challenge system – was engaging in a stare down.
To the shock and awe of Strycova, Venus boldly and immediately confronted her:
“Was that look for something?” Williams asked.
“Well done?” Zahlavova-Strycova replied.
“OK, good,” Williams stated.
Time to tell it like it is…Venus “SHUT IT DOWN’‼
Which leads me to another song from the Godfather of Soul, James Brown: “Static – Don’t Start None Won’t be None”. And that is the message Venus demonstratively delivered, not just to Strycova…
but to all players on tour.
WATCH VINE OF SHUTDOWN #GOTmeLMBO ‘-)
To shut this post down – the Venus Williams fans’ tweet below puts the hammer to the nail, about this tale…LOL‼
(For pros, it’s apparently all about Grand Slams; as winner of seven, including five Wimbledon titles, she has that base covered.) Add to that an incredible 41 WTA tour titles, three Olympic gold medals and career prize winnings totalling in excess of $27 million, and her place in tennis history is – like the woman who earned it – well assured.
Combining focus, fierce determination and heroic physical prowess, she spent her teenage years clawing her way to the top-ranked position, winning numerous championships and breaking records. To date her universally feared 129 mph serve is the fastest ever recorded in women’s tennis.
But that’s just the tennis. She currently has nine global sponsors behind her. Off the court Venus is a successful author, creative designer, entrepreneur and fashion icon as well as being the founding ambassador for the WTA UNESCO Gender Equality Program and has fought for equal pay for female athletes. [READ: Venus Williams’ Other Career as Equal Pay Activist : Revisiting ESPN Film’s Documentary ‘Venus Vs.’→http://wp.me/p1O3xi-z6]
The young entrepreneur is also a uniquely creative designer, decorator and owner of V Starr Interiors, a successful interior design firm based in Palm Beach Gardens,Florida. In 2007, Venus launched her clothing line “EleVen,” the largest clothing ever launched by a female athlete. And prior to that worked with Reebok on her collaboration with famed designer Diane Von Furstenberg for her line of tennis clothes (the largest endorsement ever awarded to a woman athlete, at $40 million for five years). [See also “VENUS WILLIAMS ENTREPRENEUR: One of Business Insider’s Eight Athletes Winning On A Different Turf”→http://wp.me/p1O3xi-10D]
We tracked Venus down during her crazy training season to see just what it takes to build an unshakeable confidence on and off the court.
How did you get to where you are today?
My story really starts with my parents. They gave us all the skills, not only me, but I have 3 older sisters and one younger sister and they gave us all the skills to do what we do today.
Our parents were a huge influence on all of us, family was huge for us, it still is. It’s been our base, we were told that our sisters are our best friends. So it was a family of women, 6 against 1. So we had the majority vote most of the time, I don’t know how he did it, but my dad really had a philosophy about things. He really gave us this entrepreneurial kind of mind and really did a lot.
My mom was a lot about balance, she’s extremely determined, a super nice person. My mom gave us that spiritual balance and just really a wonderful role model as a woman for all of us sisters. And together I think they really balance each other out. When one of them was being too hard, the other one was, you know kind of taking up the slack.
At what age did you first pick up a tennis racket?
I was about 3 years old when I first started playing. My dad had a vision that we would be great tennis players, and he read books about the game and taught himself. He then starting teaching us, and I loved it and was good from a young age.
What do you love about being on court?
The competition and knowing that when I play well I will win. And I want to be ahead of the curve.
We believe confidence is a critical element to women’s success and you certainly show it on and off the court, is this something you’ve always had, or have you earned it?
Confidence comes with preparation and meeting your goals. It also comes through the journey of success.
I believe to gain confidence, sports are instrumental, I encourage all young people to play sports. Of course it benefits everyone, of every age, but when you’re young it really teaches you these lessons of how you can push yourself, setting goals, achieving them, when you have a setback, really evaluating why and then making those changes to be successful. Those are lessons in life that are so invaluable. At the time when you’re a young person you don’t really realize, per se, you’re learning those lessons, but it’s really set in this pattern in life of hard work and dedication and learning and getting up when you fall down.
In business, we often call those who help us advance a champion. Would you say your father has been yours?
My family is my champion. They are my coaches to this day, they are still working with us. My dad was usually on the court, but my mom would come out too. And if you know anything about my dad, you know that he can be this outspoken guy at times. He’s kind of calmed down a lot in the last few years. And my mom is this person on in the background smiling and you always see her clapping when there’s a good point even when the opponent won and sometimes you see her falling asleep in the stands (Laughter).
What are the most important lessons you’ve learned along the way to the top of your field?
First and foremost: Always believe in yourself! But there are a number of great lessons I’ve learned over the years.
CREATIVITY: There are always people who change the game. Steffi Graf and Monica Seles blew everyone off the court in their time. And the next wave, Serena and I were privileged enough to bring a new kind of power game… And really they say Serena and I changed the game, but it was actually my dad behind the scenes who changed the game with new footwork. It’s amazing what can be done when you approach the same thing but with a new solution.
HARD WORK, my parents taught us by example. My dad taught us a lot of hard work and most of all, is not to be afraid of hard work. You can’t be afraid to get in there and get your elbow wet. And you got to enjoy the challenge, just enjoy the battle.
DETERMINATION is extremely important. One of my mottos is, there’s always a way. There’s no such thing as not a way. I’m going to find a way and in my life I have never not found a way. So one of my mottos which I would like to share with you and then you can make a part of your life also is find a way.
One of the most important things is to LOVE WHAT YOU DO. There’s nothing better than getting up in the morning and knowing that you love what you do that day and you’re ready for that challenge and you’re going to embrace it and you’re going to enjoy that battle.
VISUALIZATION was a huge part of what we did. And I use those techniques off of the court too and maybe its not necessarily complete visualization, but a lot of it would be writing down my goals. Really be preparing for what the next step might be.
Venus Williams proudly displays her wares for winning her first of five Wimbledon women’s singles title in 2000.
“I remember the first time I won Wimbledon, my dad told me to go out there to the stadium court and just visualize. No crowds were in there, I just walked out there on the court, sit down and its really a serine moment because you’re in the Wimbledon Stadium. You walk out on the court and there’s no one there, it’s just you and the birds. And I sat there and I thought about what it would take for me to win this tournament and (closes her eyes) visualize myself on that match point, how would I handle that pressure. Visualize myself down break point and how would I come back from that and different things like that. Just all by myself, so he really taught us how to prepare. PREPARATION IS KEY.”
My latest thing now is know the play. One of my strengths as a player on the court is I know the play. Even though I seems like this really tall, big, dominating bully on the court that I’m just over powering people in the back of my head I am taking in all these different things that are happening on the court at that moment. So if one person hits the ball on me and ok great shot, but I am kind of watching to see if they will do that again and if they do it a second time, then that’s the play. I know the play. I know what they’re doing. I know who my opponents are before they one on the court. I know what I’m up against and I’ve prepared 110% before I get out there. And if I have something that’s kind of going against me like an injury per say, how do I combat that, how can I be prepared to be ready for that kind of thing.
What has been your biggest obstacle?
Injuries have always been my biggest obstacle.
What is balance to you?
We had a really good balance growing up. My dad he was very… he was really interesting, there’s so many stories. If you read my book Come to Win there’s a lot of them in there about how my dad would teach us. But what I recall the most is my very first job was at 3 years old (Laughter) I know it’s not child labour (Laughter) but he had us delivering phonebooks, as a family we all had to deliver phonebooks. From the very beginning he had us working and instilling these values of hard work and really knowing that you have to do something for yourself and you start right from the very beginning.
What does life look like after tennis?
Today, I can say that I absolutely love what I do, I love tennis, I love design, so that makes it easy for me to be motivated.
My parents taught me to be really well-rounded and to be more than just an athlete. In my late teens, I realized that I love design and it was something that I wanted to pursue. So life after tennis I will be furthering my clothing and interior design companies, EleVen and Vstarr Interiors.
What do you hope aspiring female athletes and emerging leaders in any field learn from you as a role model?
Stay true to yourself, and always believe in yourself and what you’re doing, no matter what others might say.
But the World #1 Tennis Champion took time to serve up a reminder or two for a special someone… 😉
Not satisfied with 19 Grand Slam trophies, when Serena ran into her ex-boyfriend Common she took his newly acquired “Best Song” Oscar won for Best Original Song for the movie “Selma”.
[Listen to John Legend and Common Performing ‘Glory from Selma’ 2015 Oscars | 87th Academy Awards]
Check the Tennis Superstar…all dressed up with somewhere to go and #Slayin ‼‼
Serena Williams arrives at the Vanity Fair Pre-Oscar Party with lovely sister Isha.
SERENA AT VANITY FAIR PRE-OSCAR PARTY LOOKING FABULOUS FROM ALL ANGLES
“I look great with an Oscar” writes Serena on h‼er facebook page…and I say – YES DARLING you most certainly do‼
Venus Williams founder/owner of VStarr Interior Designs: Feature in Coastal Living Magazine.
Business Insider lists Venus, a seven time Grand Slam Title holder and former World #1, along with seven other athletes as winning entrepreneurs. Athletes who brought their competitive drive and get-it-done mindset to the world of business, and succeeded in winning on a different kind of turf.
Along with climbing back to top 20 in Tennis World Rankings, Venus is founder and CEO of the clothing line, EleVen,
“I think as an athlete you’re always overcoming all kinds of challenges.
That’s the name of sport — it’s a challenge. So definitely applying those lessons of perseverance and learning from mistakes and setting goals has definitely helped me in business.”
This story is about the time a man with a vision who saw it through to total fulfilment‼ Richard Williams, the father of tennis phenoms Venus and Serena, made the successful journey from a man who self-taught himself tennis fundamentals and then developed two Tennis Champions who changed the women’s game.
Early on Richards describes Venus as a Champion-To-Be, he said: “…she possesses the four qualities all champions have naturally – Rough, Tough, Strong; and mentally, unbelievably Sound.”
Watch and listen to the Williams Sisters, though adolescents, speak boldly and clearly of their dreams. Venus at the time only 12 had won all 63 of her junior tennis matches.
For now…let’s go back to the time of the beginning of the careers of Venus and Serena Williams – two little girls from Compton – and their musings as they look to the future:
No Cookie Nookie
@Alatenumo
Williams Sistahs 