What is the name of Serena Williams's father and early tennis coach?

Serena Williams's father and early tennis coach was Richard Williams.

Richard Dove Williams Jr. began guiding Serena and her older sister, Venus, when they were young children. After seeing Romanian player Virginia Ruzici on television, he decided that his daughters would become professional tennis players and reportedly wrote an extensive plan for their development before formally coaching them.

The family practiced on public courts in Compton, California, where Richard taught the sisters tennis while also emphasizing school, discipline, and self-belief. Serena began playing at about age four, and Richard later withdrew the sisters from a tennis academy so he could coach them more directly.

Other coaches, including Rick Macci, Patrick Mouratoglou, and Rennae Stubbs, became important at different stages of Serena's career. However, they were later coaches or mentors, not her father. Richard's story was dramatized in the 2021 film King Richard.