Mother's Day Special: The Mothers behind the Tennis Superstars

The hard work of the player and coaches are always lauded for their efforts on the occasions of their triumphs. What goes unnoticed is the efforts of the moms who played critical role in crafting the talents and providing the direction in an otherwise uncertain path. Prodigious performances are not necessarily the result of pure unadulterated talent. More often than not it is the unconditional cultic influence of the parents who provided them with preternatural certainty, confidence and self-belief. These influences at the young formative years are crucial as the players come back to them when they stand alone on-court and in doubt.

No praise would be loud enough to thank them for their love. On the occasions of mother’s day, we present you with a list (not at all exhaustive) of mothers who did everything for their kids.

1) Oracene Price

Everyone knows the Williams sisters who transformed the world of tennis especially for women. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the support and love from their mother, Oracene Price. Behind the curtains it is their mother always standing with her daughters every step of the way. She has always been part of the tours with her daughters and she has never let them feel alone. She was always seen cheering during the matches of both her daughters.

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In singles, Serena has 22 Grand Slams and Olympic Gold and Venus has 7 Grand Slams and 1 Olympic Gold and together 14 doubles Grand Slams along with 3 Olympic Gold and 1 silver. These wouldn’t have been possible without their mother helping them stay focused and determined and pulling them out from when they were in dark places. She must have done something right to have two World No. 1 players as daughters.

2) Judy Murray

We have always seen Judy be there for her two sons, Andy and Jamie. She was their first coach. She is undoubtedly a great coach as she shaped the tennis style of the current World No. 1. She played a pivotal role in their careers. Andy became the first British player to win the Wimbledon since 1936, he went on to win two more Grand Slams and two Olympic Golds.

She might be known as a coach today but few people know that she was a great player herself. She had won 64 titles in Scotland during her junior and senior career, and she went on the professional tour in around 1976. Apart from coaching her own sons she has also coached other professional tennis players.

Post Edited By: Utkarsh Bhatla