Serena Williams attended Rick Macci’s Florida tennis academy as a child.
When Serena was nine, her family moved from Compton, California, to West Palm Beach, Florida, so she and Venus could train at Macci’s academy. Macci provided additional coaching while their father, Richard Williams, remained deeply involved in their development.
Macci was known for recognizing the sisters’ exceptional potential and for working with them while respecting their parents’ role. His academy became an important stage in Serena’s transition from a talented junior playing on public courts to a player with elite professional prospects.
Richard later withdrew Serena and Venus from the academy in 1995 and resumed primary coaching himself. That distinction matters: Macci was a major childhood coach, but he was not Serena’s only coach or her lifelong head coach. Macci also trained future world No. 1 players including Jennifer Capriati, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, and Venus Williams.