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Venus and Serena Williams changed the history of women’s tennis, redefining the word icon. A term that with them found its full expression, which transcended tennis.
Starting from their father King Richard Williams and later coach Rick Macci, the two sisters rewrote the history of tennis from a young age.
And their former coach Rick Macci recounted a piece of their professional career under his guidance, revealing how Venus Williams never lost a match in training against her sister Serena Williams.
“Venus never lost to Serena Williams in practice. Vee was undefeated against little Compton Pitbull,” wrote Macci in a post shared on X.
Macci also told how King Richard used to object to a training game between his daughters.
“From 1991 to 1995 Richard refused to let them play against each other because he said they would meet 30 times on the tour. He was wrong. They played 31, 19 TO 12 Goat,” he explained.
Macci coached the Williams sisters from 1991 to 1995, with their father Richard accompanying them to Macci’s tennis academy in West Palm Beach.
@Venuseswilliams never lost to Serena in practice. Vee was undefeated against the little Compton Pitbull. From 1991 to 1995 Richard Refused to have them ever play each other as he said they would play each other 30 times on the tour. He was wrong.They played 31. 19 TO 12 Goat.
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) February 5, 2024
Macci expressed on Coco Gauff-Serena Williams’ comparison
Coco Guaff closed the Australian Open by losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Ary Sabalenka. The American started 2024 very well, riding the wave of the success of 2023, the season in which she played a crazy summer, crowned with the triumph at the US Open.
A few months ago, Macci described Gauff as the best athlete in women’s tennis during an interview.
“Coco is faster than fast, one of the best competitors, in my opinion, the best athlete on the women’s circuit. Will she win more Grand Slams? Absolutely yes! I think the women’s game is so diverse. Because Sabalenka has the firepower, but she can also check out a little and not be present. Rybakina has the serve, but she can also shoot it without precision.
I think Naomi Osaka will come back to do damage. I think Sofia Kenin will return to the court. I think everything is so uncertain, apart from Iga who has shown that she can do it, but Coco has the ability to win many Slams. However, when people say that Coco will be the next Serena Williams, it seems like a leap too high. I don’t think we can achieve something like this.
Going back to the US Open, even though she had a great run, she won all those tournaments, she almost lost in the first round. Despite incredible pressure, she won in three sets. People said she played badly, but I saw it differently.
She then continued with other victories in three sets, and here she became US Open champion. And now the whole narrative has changed. She is a golden nugget,” he analyzed.
