King Richard

I'll take that. Thank you.

Where I grew up, Louisiana, Cedar Grove...

tennis was not a game peoples played. We was too busy running from the Klan.

But here it is, when I'm interested in a thing, I learn it.

How it works, how the best peoples in the world do it.

And that's what I did with tennis, with the girls.

If you look at the biggest servers;

Sampras, Lendl, Connors, you'll see the break of their wrists

is like a smack, like a high-five.

That's what you're looking for when you hit it.

That "pop."

All we need is a club... for training, and clinics, the whole deal.

Everything the girls need to go from prodigy to pro.

I wrote me a 78-page plan for their whole career

before they was even born.

It was 1977, I had watched this tennis match...

and, uh, I seen them get this girl, Virginia Ruzici,

$40,000 for four days' work.

And since I knew I had only made $52,000 all year,

I knew I was in the wrong business.

Went home that night, told the wife, "We need to make two more kids."

So that night I wrote up the plan. One for Venus, one for Serena.

- All right. Step in a little bit more. - Cover their whole tennis...

Cover their education, foreign languages, everything.

- And now that plan say... - All right, shorten it up.

It's time for us to come see you to help turn them into champions.

Now, I know what you thinking,

"This family is from the ghetto. How they gonna pay old me?"

Well, don't you worry about that. We're not here to rob ya.

We here to make you rich.

You ever think about basketball?

Best of luck to you, I...

Okay, you making a mistake, but I'm gonna let you make it.

- Okay. - All right.

- Them pants look expensive. - Oh, they are.

If I had a dollar for every crazy parent

that told me their kid would make it to number one,

well, I'd be a rich man.

- You look pretty rich to me. - Well, there you go.

You need to open your stance up a little more.

Your stance too closed.

Serena, those books are bigger than you are.

No, they're not. I can do it. I can carry more than you.

- And break your back while you're at it? - Wanna bet?

Serena!

Phone book!

Phone book.

Phone book!

Phone book.

- Phone book! - Girls.

Hey.

- Told you I'd win. - You cheat.

- Hi, Mrs. Strickland. - Thank you.

Now, you need to go tell your father to stop working you so hard.

I seen y'all practicing in the rain. The man is crazy.

Girls. Y'all go ahead back in the house.

Tell your sisters we leaving in a few minutes.

We'll deliver the rest of them books later.

I ain't gonna tell you again, do not talk to them kids.

Excuse me. They came onto my lawn.

And somebody has gotta, as hard as you're working 'em.

They work as hard as they need to to stay off these streets.

I'm in the champion-raising business.

I got a book about it about to come out soon.

Maybe I give a copy to your daughter.

- Remind me which corner she working on? - Get off my property.

- Richard, leave that nosy woman alone. - Yeah, just stop talking to my kids.

Got your little booty-hugging shorts. You need some bigger shorts!

You know, she just wanna rile you up.

- I gotta get to work. - All right.

I think you riling me up

with them little nurse shoes on.

- I love them little nurse shoes. - Get these girls to practice.

- All right. Have a good day. - You, too.

Yes, I have my homework.

Keep turning those hips if you wanna get that power.

Bye, Mom.

- Tunde, dang, you're a nerd. - Stop.

Why you doing homework on a Saturday?

Because I am trying to get an A. You should try it with your B-plus.

Where are we practicing today, Daddy?

- Yeah, where are we practicing? - At the club.

And Serena, stop saying everything Venus say.

Hope they don't steal our balls again.

Lyn, you probably told 'em to do it so we wouldn't have to practice.

We got us a van full of balls.

And you don't need to be worrying about what other folks is doing anyway.

You need to worry about what you doing.

We out here getting great, that's what we need to be worrying about.

You understand that?

- Yes, Daddy, we do. - All right.

Oh.

- Say hi to the peoples that's gone. - Hi to the people that's gone.

I feel like I'm in church.

- Okay, who ready to work? - We're ready to work!

- Say again? - We're ready, Daddy.

All right, all right. That's what I like to hear.

Stay up on your toes. You're making too much noise.

King Richard, don't get much rest ever, do you?

Don't nothing come to a sleeper but a dream.

Are you ready to be dropped?

'Cause I will drop you.

Oh, no, watch out. Watch out.

There you go.

Keep that wrist like the smack. It's like with the "pop" on top.

Throw it to the sky. Get this one over the fence.

I like that. Yeah, that's it.

There you go!

First drill. Whoever hit that, one dollar.

Yes, yes, good power.

Yes, there you go. There you go.

Yes! Ooh, watch out, Martina.

Speed that racket head up.

Oh! Almost, Venus Williams!

Forehand.

Yes, you keep that stance open or else I'mma come down there and tickle you.

Very good. Get to it. Get to it.

There you go! There you go!

Don't wait for that ball, go get it. Yes.

Good depth, good depth there.

Switch it backhand.

Don't get too excited. This is your game.

Get it all the way up to that cotton picker.

All the way up to the sky.

Yes, Venus Williams. Come on in here.

That's a very, very good day today. You did good work.

- Venus Williams... - Hm?

- Who is your best friend? - You, Daddy.

Serena Williams...

- Who is your best friend? - Venus.

- Then you, after Venus. It's okay. - That's unbelievable. That's unbelievable.

Give your daddy a kiss.

Thank you. All right.

Y'all go ahead, uh... get the... pick the balls and everything up.

How you doing? I'm sorry, what's your name, mama?

You ain't gotta act like that, love. We just tryin' to talk to you, that's all.

Tunde!

Pick your things up, get your sisters, go ahead to the bus.

Yetunde, that's your name?

Hey, the homie said he wanna talk to you, but, Tunde,

you ain't gotta be acting like that, love.

She studying. Where she going?

Don't drop your backpack, baby.

Keep talkin' all that shit.

Oh, Tunde!

Tunde, the homie's still right here.

I be tellin' this love right here...

What is he doing?

Nigga be acting like he scared or something like...

Young man, now I asked you a couple times.

Young man?

Now, that girl there is only 16 years old. And she out here to work.

Just leave her alone. Leave her alone.

- I talk to whoever I want, homie. - Oh, he upset, nigga.

You leave these girls at peace.

Hey yo, come on, homie, man. Leave this old-ass nigga alone.

What, now you feel like you're better than us or something, homie?

Hey, homeboy, you know you hear me talking to you.

Come on!

What's up, homie, you got something you wanna say?

I done said what I wanna say. Just mind your business.

She not interested in you.

Yeah, now you my business, bitch.

Oh, damn! Come on, Roc!

See your daddy now, huh, Tunde?

Come on, man. He's an old-ass nigga, man.

That's your homie, man. What's going on with him?

- Come on, man. - Hey, keep your old ass at home, homie.

Turn that music up! Turn that music up!

Come over here trippin' and shit, man.

Came over here with that stupid shit.

Punk-ass nigga, say what?

Daddy, are you okay?

When I was your age I used to have to fight every day.

If it wasn't the Ku Klux Klan or the police or...

the white boys from the next town...

somebody was always beating on me for something.

And I ain't had no daddy to stand in their way.

This world ain't never had no respect for Richard Williams.

But they gonna respect y'all.

They gonna respect y'all.

Somebody ought to call the cops on you.

Daddy, what's happening?

- Nothing, Junior. Go in the house. - Okay.

- Hi, Mom. - Hey, girls, dinner's ready.

- How was practice? - It was good.

Daddy got beat up again.

- Did you work on your serve? - Yeah.

Tunde, get the plates.

If we eat fast enough we'll probably have time for the talent show.

Oh, wait, hold on. I'm going first.

- I already know what I'm singing. - Let me guess...

Because the greatest love of all...

Stop! What's so funny? The song is a great song.

- Move, move, move. - Yes, ma'am.

Leave Serena alone.

- Here, give this out. - Thank you, Mama.

Y'all go wash up.

What happened?

That same boy, sniffing around Tunde.