Summary
- King Richard accurately portrays real-life tennis figures involved in the Williams sisters' journey, adding to the film's acclaim.
- Venus Williams remains an active tennis player with numerous Grand Slam titles and influential ventures.
- Serena Williams is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, with a record-breaking tennis career and successful post-retirement life.
The biopic King Richard explores the upbringing of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, but it also features several other notable real-life tennis players and coaches. The Oscar-winning film's events take place in the late 1980s and early '90s, examining the peculiar methods of Richard Williams and his arguably extreme plan to turn his two daughters into tennis stars. King Richard is accurate to real life in many ways, including in its portrayals of the various tennis figures who took part in their journey.
King Richard is currently streaming on Netflix.
Most of the King Richard cast play real-life people, from the Williams/Price family to various coaches, opposing players, and characters in tennis media. The sense of realism in the film adds to the acclaim, with significant praise going to Will Smith for his true-to-life interpretation of the titular character. The film's end offers viewers some tidbits about the main characters' lives after the film, but there are 30 years of stories to explore about many of those individuals after the fact.
Venus Williams
Venus Williams Is Still An Active Tennis Player And Is Considered One Of The Best Ever
Played expertly by Saniyya Sidney in King Richard, the older sister, Venus Williams, takes precedence in the film, as she's the first of Richard's daughters to go pro. Over the past thirty years, Venus Williams became one of the most accomplished tennis players ever, with five Wimbledon Grand Slam titles and two more at the US Open. Though she's past her prime, Venus is still actively playing in 2024.
In the 2000s, she argued for equal prize money for female tennis players, leveraging her status and notoriety as one of the world's greatest athletes to change tennis. Venus Williams has an astonishing 818-276 record throughout her singles career, and she's also made an impact outside the game. She was involved as a producer on King Richard and has various business ventures, including minority ownership of the Miami Dolphins.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams Is Widely Considered One Of The Greatest Athletes Of All Time
Though she wasn't featured as prominently in King Richard, a scene depicts Richard telling Serena that he planned for her to become the greatest player of all time. Thirty years later, this is widely regarded to be a fact, with a vast resume of accomplishments in the sport, even outshining her sister. Serena Williams has a whopping 23 Grand Slam singles titles and an overall record of 858-156.
Serena Williams retired from playing professional tennis in 2022
Serena Williams retired from playing professional tennis in 2022, having won a Grand Slam as recently as 2017. Serena and Venus also worked together to win 14 doubles titles, setting a record for going unbeaten in major doubles finals. Serena is now married to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, and the two just recently welcomed their second child. She's also enjoyed her celebrity status by making cameos in various movies and shows, including Glass Onion and Pixels.