“She should run on the track and not pursue tennis”: how Rick Macci was blown away by Venus Williams

Legendary trainer Rick Macci was once called “the trainer of wonders”. This is because he helped build stars like Serena and Venus Williams, and Maria Sharapova.

Additionally, Macci has also coached Andy Roddick and Jennifer Capriati. In fact, all of these names were previously world number 1 in their careers. With the release of ‘King Richard’, the biographical drama about the life of the Williams family, Macci is once again in the limelight.

Macci opens up about unreal athleticism of young Venus Williams

When Venus Williams was ten, coach Rick Macci traveled down from Florida to Compton to assess her skills. He describe their first interaction in detail in his book, Macci Madness: Extracting Greatness From Yourself And Others.

Macci was initially disappointed when he saw the girls training and playing on the broken tennis courts in Compton. However, he noticed something different about 10 years old. Venus Williams. “After we got organized and had all the balls in there, Venus and Serena kind of jogged around the field. One thing I noticed from the start: Venus worked a little differently ”, Macci writes.

In fact, Macci even thought Venus Williams was in the wrong sport! “She was very long, very tall and had strides like a gazelle. I said, ‘Ah, that’s interesting.’ I thought she should be running on the track and not playing tennis.

Macci then points out that it’s not uncommon for tennis athletes to be tall and lean. Moreover, he compares the physique of a young Venus to that of a praying mantis! Macci was really impressed with the way Venus behaved while running and jogging. “There was a lot of length in his stride. “

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He even compares her to his younger sister Serena at the time, “Serena was very stocky and compact at age 9.”

Macci thinks Venus could have used her athleticism to be the GOAT

Even though Rick Macci and the Williams family separated professionally when Venus was 15, they remain friends to this day. In one interview with Eric Han, however, Macci expresses his opinion on the Venus game.

He expresses how Venus could have been more successful if she used her physique in sports. “Venus was much better at (age) 11, 12, 13, “ he said. “Her vertical jump, you can’t lob this girl, and she’s got a big wingspan!” ” Macci describes.

“I truly believe Venus could have won more Grand Slam tournaments than anyone else.” Macci, to this day, is convinced that Venus could have been unsurpassed if her talents had been put to better use.

What do you think of Macci’s comments?

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