Richard Williams’ attraction to tennis came one day while he was watching the French Open and noticed the $40,000 prize money. He promptly taught himself tennis by watching instructional videos and then started to coach his daughters Venus and Serena at public courts in and around Los Angeles at the ages of six and five respectively. According to Williams, gangs controlled the local tennis courts, and he was forced to argue and even fight them to earn court time. Eventually, Williams built up enough respect, and some gang members even served as security while the sisters endured training sessions that began as early as 6:00 AM and continued into the evening.

The family moved to Florida in 1991 so Venus and Serena could attend Rick Macci’s tennis academy, but after five years there Williams removed them to coach them himself at their home. Serena and Venus went on to become two of the most successful tennis players of all time, with Serena winning 23 major singles titles and Venus winning 7 major singles titles. In 2002, both sisters rose to number one in the WTA rankings.

Williams is also the author of two books. In 2014, he published a memoir titled Black and White: The Way I See It. Williams released his second book in 2020 titled Richard Williams: Tennis and Race in the United States. Williams was inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017.

In 2021, Warner Bros. Pictures released the biographical major motion picture King Richard, telling the story of Richard Williams and the early years of Venus and Serena’s careers. Serena and Venus served as executive producers on the film. The film received critical praise, earning Will Smith his first Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams.