Venus and Serena Williams are teaming up to provide more opportunities in education and tennis.
Williams Family Excellence Program
According to information shared by the U.S. Open, the tennis stars have partnered with the USTA Foundation to launch the Williams Family Excellence Program. It will provide mentorship, education, and career pathways beyond tennis for under-resourced youth and young adults ages 13 to 25, building on the USTA Foundation’s work, which has assisted more than 200,000 young people this year.
“We are honored to have this program named after our family and are proud to partner with the USTA Foundation to help create the leaders of tomorrow,” Venus and Serena explained in a statement, according to the U.S. Open. “Our parents always encouraged us to strive for excellence, and tennis provided us the platform and opportunity to follow our dreams and achieve those moments. We truly believe this program will continue using the sport to provide others the opportunity to dream big and leave their own marks.”
The partnership intends to serve 2,500 young people within the next decade. Several promises were announced to fulfill the Williams Family Excellence Program’s benchmarks. It aims to work with community-based organizations targeting under-resourced communities “with the greatest desire, athletic potential, and financial need” and “provide them with no-cost or low-cost high-performance training, college recruitment guidance, and access to camps and competitions.” Additionally, it will offer college scholarships, player grants, internships, and an entrepreneurship program to teach youth leadership skills in the boardroom.
The USTA Foundation believes the pair are well-positioned to serve as partners, citing their influences beyond the court as businesswomen. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Williams is the founder of WYN BEAUTY, which has a retail deal with Ulta Beauty. She is also a serial investor with several unicorns in her portfolio, both personally and through her venture capital fund, Serena Ventures, which supports many women and underrepresented founders. Venus owns a clothing brand, EleVen, and co-founded AI startup Palazzo, which focuses on interior design, a separate AFROTECH™ article mentioned.
Both have also made millions through tennis and endorsement deals. Serena retired from professional tennis in 2022, while Venus, according to WTA tennis, remains an active player, returning after a 16-month hiatus at age 45.
“Venus and Serena Williams have inspired millions of people to play tennis, but their impact goes far beyond trophies and titles,” mentioned Brian Vahaly, USTA chairman of the board, president, and interim co-CEO, per the U.S. Open. “They changed the game in culture, fashion, and business, and their story is one of courage and resilience. This program will carry that legacy forward by giving young people the same sense of possibility that the Williams family has given all of us.”
