Venus Williams’ historic WTA move ‘changed his life’, boyhood coach tells story of ‘epic debut’

Historians believe that the origins of racquet sports can be traced back to the 12th century in northern France. Tennis is now a global sport that has grown slowly but steadily over the past few years. Today we look back at the evolution of tennis nearly 29 years ago, as it relates to a pair of sisters who changed the trajectory of the sport.

The 69-year-old American and former coach of Serena and Venus Williams takes us through this “life-changing decision”. Rick Macci recently recalled how changes in age eligibility rules in 1995 revolutionized racquet sports. Especially the impact it had on Williams’ sister.

Venus Williams’ former coach reflects on how age eligibility rules ‘forced’ them to make important decisions

Age eligibility rules were introduced by the WTA in 1995 as part of its player development programme. Its main purpose is to prevent rising stars in tennis from burning out and collapsing on the larger stage of competition. The rule limits the number of games each youth player can play in a year.

During that period, some teenage stars rose to fame and then faded completely. They clearly couldn’t handle the sudden success and fame. 29 years later, Rick Macci has something to say about it.

I tweeted, ‘In 1995, the WTA changed age eligibility rules, forcing us to make a life-changing decision. And, give Compton Comet Venus Williams an epic debut just before the deadline. Eight months later, there are 12 million reasons why it was the right decision.‘

Venus Williams turned professional on October 31, 1994, at the age of 14. This age rule prohibits girls aged 13 or younger from competing in professional events, the Confederations Cup and the Olympics. Why? The WTA considers professional tennis to be a high-performance and high-stakes environment that may not be suitable for young teenagers.

But a rule change allowed Venus Williams to make her debut at 14 and changed the scope of the game, as Rick Macci points out.

Macci calls it “12 million reasons” for the “right decision”

Not only is Venus Williams making headlines for breaking all the records, but she’s also racking up amazing endorsement offers just one year after turning pro. Williams signed a $12 million contract with Reebok, her first eight-figure endorsement deal – amazing!

Rick March, like the rest of the world, was stunned by Williams’ performance. Her career ended with 49 titles, including seven singles Grand Slam titles. If it weren’t for a change in age qualification rules, the world might have even fewer opportunities to see Compton’s Comet!

Watch this story: Venus and Serena Williams give fans a tennis treat in a promising but unknown collaboration