Serena Williams‘ love for her family is no secret. Whether it’s gushing over her daughters, bonding with her sisters, or honoring her parents, the tennis legend has always made it clear that family is at the heart of everything she does. Now, at 43, Serena is reflecting once again on those precious relationships, and this time, the spotlight is on none other than her mother, Oracene Price.
Williams’s relationship with her mother has been nothing short of fascinating. From watching them play from the courtside to offering the support that only a mother can, Price has ensured to shower her love on her daughter every time possible. Now, Williams engaged in an interview with Glamour and deliberated on a lot of aspects of her family and her life after retirement. She highlighted the role that her mother played in her career and shared how the dynamics between the two have evolved over the years.
Speaking in the interview, the legendary player revealed how she did not like to hear advice from her mother after she started to build confidence. “I’d be like, ‘I know what to do!” she said. For the unversed, besides being the mother of the star player, Oracene Price is also known for being the first coach of her daughters Serena and Venus Williams and guiding them in their careers. However, the dynamics have changed now for the player.
Continuing further in the interview, the 23-time Grand Slam winner said how she started to understand her mother better after she became a mother herself. “I look at my mom in amazement. She did that five times, and she’s had the horrible experience of losing one of her children,” Williams shared as she recalled the tragic killing of Yetunde Price in a shootout in 2003. “So you know what? You just have to keep your mouth shut and complain to your sisters” she added. This, however, is not the first time when the former player highlighted such love and admiration for her mother.
Serena Williams often recalled calling her mother before her matches and seeking advice. She resonated with similar sentiments even during the initial phase of her career. Speaking to the press at the 2001 Indian Wells, Williams revealed her mother’s influence in her career. Calling Price a disciplinarian, Williams said, “my mom, if you take a human being, you have a body, she would be the spine, where you can’t move without it, you can’t do anything. She was there in the beginning of our career, and she really supported us the way your spine would, help you stand straight.” It is probably for this reason, that Williams could not refrain from thanking her mother when she gave birth to her daughter Olympia.
Serena Williams is blessed with two daughters, Olympia and Adira. While her younger daughter was born in 2017, she welcomed the younger daughter in 2023. But despite being a successful mother and even more successful athlete, Williams did not fail to pen a heartwarming message for her mother.
Taking to Instagram in 2017, Williams shared a picture of herself and Olympia and recalled her own treatment throughout her career. “Dear Mom,” Williams began, “You are one of the strongest women I know. I was looking at my daughter . . . and she has my arms and legs! My exact same strong, muscular, powerful, sensational arms and body.” She further highlighted how her mother helped her overcome several challenges in life.
“It has been said I don’t belong in Women’s sports—that I belong in Men’s—because I look stronger than many other women do. But mom, I’m not sure how you did not go off on every single reporter, person, announcer and quite frankly, hater, who was too ignorant to understand the power of a black woman.” As Serena Williams enjoys more interesting phase of her motherhood, it would be interesting to see if more such stories and acknowledgments about her 72-year-old mother come to the spotlight.
