Serena Williams gets emotional as she reveals “loving message” her father Richard Williams sent

Serena Williams with her father at the 2012 Wimbledon – Image source: Getty

Serena Williams shared a heartwarming reaction to a message her father sent her on social media. The tennis legend’s father, Richard Williams, coached Serena and her elder sister, Venus, early in their careers.

Richard Williams, 83, has played a crucial role in Serena Williams’ remarkable success in sport. Richard and his family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, in the early 1990s, so that Serena and Venus could train at Rick Macci’s tennis academy. His efforts resulted in early success for both Williams sisters, who went on to become the World No. 1s and combined to win 30 Grand Slam singles titles.

Venus, 45, is still active on the WTA tour, while Serena retired in 2022. Both Williams sisters have been vocal about their father’s support beyond the sport and in their personal lives. On Monday, November 10, Serena Williams shared a screenshot of a private chat with her father on Instagram story, showcasing another example of his emotional support. Her father’s message read:

“I truly love you. You’re extra extraordinary and thank you my wonderful daughter Serena truly love you.”

Serena added heart and smiling emojis and captioned her story, writing:

“I really needed this loving message from my dad.”

Serena Williams’s story on November 10, 2025 – Source: via @serenawilliams on Instagram

Serena Williams dominated the open era with a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles. She was ranked as the World No. 1 for 319 weeks in the WTA women’s singles rankings. The 44-year-old also won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, completing a career Golden Slam. Notably, she also made a similar impact in the doubles, winning 16 Grand Slam titles and three Olympic gold medals.

“It all started with my father’s instincts” – Serena Williams credits her father

Having achieved everything there is in tennis, Serena Williams recently revealed that it all started due to her father’s early “instincts”. In an interview with ABC Sports in October 2025, Williams stated that her father wanted her to have a better life than he did, and she worked hard to achieve it.

“He’s the main reason my sister and I play tennis,” Serena said. “It was his idea; he wanted us to have a better life than he did. And we did it, we achieved it. We worked very hard, we listened to what he and our mother told us.”

Serena also credited the sport for teaching her discipline and said she is still benefiting from it.

“My career has been a journey and a dream that has taken me very far. I’ve been to every corner of the world thanks to tennis. It has brought me so much joy many times, and also great sadness on occasion: that happens with all sports. Tennis has taught me discipline; it has taught me to strive. It has given me so much… I’m still benefiting from tennis. And it all started with my father’s instincts,” she added.

For his coaching efforts, Richard Williams was inducted into the American Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017.