After moving from Saginaw, Michigan, Serena Williams grew up in Compton, California.
Serena was born in Saginaw on September 26, 1981. When she and Venus were young, their father, Richard Williams, moved the family to Compton, a city in Los Angeles County. Richard believed the demanding environment would help toughen the sisters as they pursued professional tennis.
In Compton, Serena and Venus practiced on public courts and were coached by their parents. The neighborhood became an important part of the family story and later appeared in accounts of their rise, although the sisters' professional development eventually continued in Florida.
When Serena was nine, the family moved from Compton to West Palm Beach so Serena and Venus could train at Rick Macci's tennis academy. That move explains a frequent confusion: Compton was their formative California home, while West Palm Beach was where they received later academy training.