V
enus and Serena Williams, born in 1980 and 1981 respectively, are one of the most remarkable stories JO TQPSU 7FOVT DBNF UP QSPNJOFODF ÙSTU BOE XFOU on to win seven Grand Slam singles titles but was soon overtaken by her sister Serena, who went on to collect an incredible twenty three Grand Slam singles titles in her career. 5IFSF IBT CFFO B ÙFSDF QSPGFTTJPOBM SJWBMSZ CFUXFFO UIFN 4JODF UIFJS ÙSTU NFFUJOH JO UIF 64 0QFO VQ UP UIF Australian Open in 2017, they met in nine Grand Slam TJOHMFT UJUMFT 5IFZ CFDBNF UIF ÙSTU UXP QMBZFST NBMF PS female, to play in four consecutive Grand Slam singles ÙOBMT GSPN UIF 'SFODI 0QFO UP UIF "VTUSBMJBO Open. Serena has an incredible singles record and has completed the “Serena Slam”, holding all four Grand Slam tournaments, twice in her career. Between 2000 and 2016 they collectively won twelve Wimbledon singles titles 7FOVT ÙWF BOE 4FSFOB TFWFO *O BGUFS UIF 'SFODI Open, Venus and Serena were ranked numbers one and UXP JO UIF XPSME UIF ÙSTU UJNF JO IJTUPSZ UIJT IBE CFFO achieved. Incredibly they went on to do the same thing some eight years later in 2010, with Serena holding the number one spot this time. Their record playing doubles alongside each other is equally impressive, winning numerous Grand Slam titles and reaching the number one ranking.
Both girls from were coached by their parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, from an early age. The girl’s father home schooled them both and while he and TVCTFRVFOUMZ UIFJS NPUIFS IBWF CFFO UIF PGÙDJBM DPBDIFT other mentors who helped them to learn the game included Richard Williams, a Compton man, (where the girls were born), who shared the father’s name and would go on to found the Venus and Serena Tennis/Tutorial Academy. After ten years, the family moved from Compton to West Palm Beach, Florida, so that the girls could attend the tennis academy of Rick Macci, where he began to provide additional coaching. Macci did not always agree with the girls father but respected that “he treated his daughters like kids, giving them time to grow up”.
Indeed at one time around 2010 they were the number one and two players in the world in singles and the number one doubles partnership! Both women have also won four gold medals at the Summer Olympics, one singles title and three doubles medals each.
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DISCOVER PATTAYA
Issue 235/8 | MARCH 2021
