Rick Macci is offering a glimpse into how it looked to coach a young Serena Williams as the American tennis icon's childhood coach claims she "refused to lose" even when she was a little girl.
After Richard Williams hit up Macci and told him about having two extremely talented daughters, the tennis coach agreed to bring them to his academy in Florida. The rest is history as Macci coached the Williams sisters for around four years during their childhood - between 1991 and 1995 - and is widely credited for the early development of the iconic American duo.
When the Williams sisters turned pro, one of the things that stood out about them wasn't only their talent, but also their competitiveness. Serena was just 17 when she won her maiden Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open and finished her career with 23 Majors. On the other side, Venus is still active despite being 45 years old and she has seven Slams in her collection.
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Macci on Serena Williams'best quality: Even as a kid, she refused to lose
"The best quality of Serena as a kid was she refused to lose. Period. No matter who she played even a hitting partner who gave her two donuts with extra sprinkles she fought every point and never checked out. Unreal kid goat qualities by the Compton Comet," the 70-year-old coach wrote on X.
When Williams decided to walk away from pro tennis after the 2022 US Open - just before her 42nd birthday - she didn't hide that it wasn't an easy decision. In early 2023, the former world No. 1 even admitted that she felt tempted to return because she felt that she could still play at the highest level and do great things. However, in the end, she refused to make that move and stayed retired.
