Who are Serena Williams’ parents? latest information about them 2024

Who are Serena Williams’ parents? latest information about them 2024

Venus and Serena Williams owe much of their success to their parents, Richard Williams and Oracene “Brandy” Price. Serena Williams Bio

Richard and Oracene introduced their daughters to tennis and served as their initial coaches. Richard later took on the role of their full-time coach, protecting them from detractors and motivating them to excel in a sport traditionally dominated by white athletes.

Their journey is depicted in the 2021 film “King Richard,” available on Hulu, HBO, and Netflix. The movie highlights Richard’s determination and the pivotal role both parents played, with Will Smith portraying Richard and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor playing Oracene.

Over the years, Venus and Serena have frequently expressed their gratitude for their parents’ influence on their careers. After her final match in 2022, Serena stated, “It all started with my parents, and they deserve everything, so I’m really grateful for them.”

Similarly, Venus shared her appreciation in 2013, writing on Instagram, “Thanks dad for giving Serena and I a dream! You truly changed the game!” She also praised her mother’s guidance, telling Will Smith on Red Table Talk in 2021 that her “mom was really the guiding force.”

The origins of the Williams sisters’ tennis careers begin with Richard and Oracene’s own story.

How did Serena Williams‘ parents meet?

Richard Williams and Oracene Price met at a bus stop in Los Angeles. According to Richard’s account to Sports Illustrated, he told her that day he wanted to marry her and have five daughters together.

Both Richard and Oracene had traveled far from their hometowns: Richard from Shreveport, Louisiana, and Oracene from Saginaw, Michigan, where Serena Williams was born.

When did Serena Williams’ parents get married and start having kids?

Serena Williams’ parents, Richard Williams and Oracene “Brandy” Price, married in 1980, officially merging their families.

Richard had five children from his previous marriage to Betty Johnson, which ended in 1973: Sabrina, Richard III, Ronner, Reluss, and Reneeka Williams. Oracene had three daughters from her previous relationship with Yusef A.K. Rasheed, which ended in 1979: Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha Price.

Their first child together, Venus Williams, was born on June 17, 1980, followed by Serena Williams on September 26, 1981.

The family initially lived in Compton, California, where Richard and Oracene coached their daughters. Later, they moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, to further develop Venus and Serena’s tennis careers.

What did Richard Williams do for a living before coaching his daughters Venus and Serena Williams?

Richard Williams, a former sharecropper, taught himself to play tennis by reading books and watching videos, as reported by Women’s History. He then taught Oracene “Brandy” Price, and her quick grasp of the game convinced him that their daughters could become tennis superstars.

“I never doubted,” Price said on Red Table Talk in 2021. “We had a goal. It wasn’t money. It was just a way of life we wanted for the girls.”

During the same episode, Serena Williams shared that her father quit his day job to coach Venus and Serena full-time. “My dad at one point was working and then he stopped,” she said. “He’s like, ‘This is what we’re going to do. I’m not going to have a job. And I’m gonna go with Venus and Serena and train them every day.’”

This decision made Oracene Price the sole breadwinner for the household. “She had to support seven people,” Serena Williams noted. “To have that faith and to have that back-end support, and to always know all the work she’s done and the humility that she continues to have, we wouldn’t have survived without that.”

Are Serena Williams’ parents still together?

Richard Williams and Oracene Price divorced in 2002 after 22 years of marriage.

A decade later, Richard had a son, Dylan Starr Richard Williams, with his third wife, Lakeisha Graham, from whom he split in 2017. He also has a son, movie producer Chavoita LeSane, from a previous relationship. LeSane produced the 2022 documentary “On the Line: The Richard Williams Story.”

Are Serena Williams’ parents still alive?

Yes, Richard Williams is 82 and Oracene Price is 72. They were often seen attending their daughters’ press tours and matches, although separately. They now mostly live their lives in private.

The Cutest Photos of Serena Williams’ Family of 4

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian are embracing life as a family of four, raising their daughters Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., 6, and Adira River Ohanian, now 6 months. They often share meaningful moments on Instagram.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight last year, Williams, 42, admitted she initially worried about whether she could love another child as much as she loves Olympia. “I was really nervous about that,” she said, reflecting on her feelings before Adira’s birth. “But I feel like it all worked out.”

Below, enjoy some of the family’s sweetest photos together since Adira’s arrival.