How skateboarding helped Serena Williams

Serena Williams is known around the world for tennis. Although she's originally from California, her junior training days were spent at the Rick Macci Tennis Academy in Florida. Serena's tennis improved quickly under Macci's expert guidance. But her strokes were also influenced, strangely, by skateboarding.

How? Well, it turns out that the 23-time major champion tried skateboarding early on but didn't do so well. According to her new eight-part documentary series on ESPN, "In the Arena: Serena Williams," she tells the story of a skateboarding fall that changed her tennis strokes forever.

"All my dreams weren't on the tennis court," Williams explained in the first episode. "I learned guitar and started listening to Green Day. I became a low-key punk rocker because I loved Bad Religion and Rancid. Back then I loved to skateboard. That's how I got a good forehand. 

Above: The trailer for "In the Arena: Serena Williams" on ESPN. YouTube: ESPN.

"One day I was at school and I didn't want to be there so I just took my skateboard out and I went skateboarding in the neighborhood and fell and hurt my wrist really bad. I never told my dad. 

"I couldn't really hit backhands, so I was like I want to work on my forehand today, I want my forehand to get better."

Her sister, Venus, the better player at the time, distinctly remembers the skateboard incident. "We remember her forehand getting much bigger after that," Venus said, laughing. "I thought maybe I should have fallen." 

Above: A look at Rick Macci working with Venus early in her career. Rick and Serena at the 'King Richard' movie premiere. Photos courtesy of Rick Macci.

How good was Serena's forehand? Florida Tennis asked Rick Macci his take on Serena's incredible forehand. According to Macci, "Serena's forehand was clean with a tight spin and was a blend of great early preparation and balance."

Macci also emphasized how her footwork helped her forehand. "Downstairs with her feet, the Compton Comet was popping the popcorn — extra butter — but most of all on the run you were done, as she found acute angles with quality the world has never, ever seen," he explained.

To learn more about Serena's incredible story, be sure to check out "In the Arena: Serena Williams," on ESPN. The series is directed by Gotham Chopra and co-produced by ESPN, Religion of Sports, Tom Brady’s 199 Productions, and Williams and Caroline Currier’s Nine Two Six Productions.

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Written by Florida Tennis' Executive Editor and Publisher Matt Pressman. Sources: WTA, ESPN, Rick Macci. Top photo: Boss Tweed from New York, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.