"She had to support seven people... We wouldn't have survived": When Serena Williams praised her mom Oracene's strength after dad Richard quit his job

Serena Williams once expressed deep admiration for her mother Oracene Price, as she recalled how her mom stepped up to support their family. The American candidly admitted that she couldn't even envision herself showing the same strength in a similar situation.

While Venus and Serena Williams' father Richard's role in their journey is well-known, the pair have often made it a point to ensure that their mother's contributions do not go unseen. In 2021, the Williams sisters joined Will Smith on the Red Table Talk, alongside their mother Oracene Price and half-sisters, Isha and Lyndrea Price.

On the talk show, Serena Williams recounted how her father Richard made the bold decision to quit his job and dedicate all his time to training her and Venus in tennis, leaving their mother solely responsible for supporting their family financially. The 23-time Grand Slam champion said that she would find it unimaginable if her husband Alexis Ohanian ever proposed making a similar move.

"My dad at one point was working and then, he stopped. He's like, 'This is what we're going to do. I'm not going to have a job. I'm gonna go with Venus and Serena, and train them every day.' Now that would be impossible for me if my husband [Alexis Ohanian] were to tell me that. I'd be like, 'I kinda worked my whole life. I'm trying to relax a little bit," she said.

Williams commended her mother Oracene Price for supporting their family of seven on her own, emphasizing that she and Venus would've never achieved greatness without their mom's invaluable efforts.

"But she had to support seven people, as a family of seven. To have that faith and to have that back end support, we wouldn't have survived without that," she shares," she added.

Serena Williams has never shied away from giving her mom her flowers, even penning an emotional public letter for Oracene Price after giving birth to her first daughter Olympia. The 23-time Grand Slam champion expressed gratitude to her mom for being her "role model" and vowed to raise her daughter with Price's example in mind.

"She really supported us the way your spine would" - Serena Williams on her 'disciplinary' mom Oracene Price

Venus and Serena Williams with their mom Oracene - Source: Getty

Given her pivotal role in supporting their family, it is unsurprising that Serena Williams described her mother Oracene Price as the "spine" behind her and Venus Williams' success in a press conference at the 2001 US Open.

"Well, she's a disciplinary (smiling). No, my mom, if you take a human being, you have a body, she would be the spine, where you can't move without it, you can't do anything. I would say that's her. She was there in the beginning of our career, and she really supported us the way your spine would, help you stand straight. She was there the whole time," she said.

The American also revealed that while her father Richard was responsible for overseeing her tennis training, it was her mother she reached out to when she needed advice about what she should do on the court.

On the tennis front, Serena Williams reached the final at the 2001 US Open after beating the likes of Justine Henin, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis. However, defending champion Venus Williams dashed her sister's hopes of clinching her second Grand Slam title by claiming a 6-2, 6-4 victory in the final.