Associated Press
NEW YORK — Venus and Serena Williams are partners in a new initiative to provide opportunities for young people from under-resourced communities through tennis and education.
The Williams Family Excellence Program was announced Thursday at the U.S. Open along with the USTA Foundation between women’s semifinal matches, with Venus Williams taking part in the on-court ceremony.
The program will focus on post-secondary education and career development, aiming to reach more than 2,500 people ages 13 to 25 annually by 2035. The USTA Foundation’s community-based organizations will identify and recruit young people from under-resourced communities who have 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.
“Venus and Serena Williams have inspired millions of people to play tennis, but their impact goes far beyond trophies and titles,” said Brian Vahaly, Chairman of the Board and President, interim Co-CEO, USTA. “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.”
“The naming of this program for the Williams family will help to carry forward the legacy of two remarkable women who dared to dream—and a family that helped make those dreams a reality,” said award-winning television writer, producer and showrunner Shonda Rhimes, while helping announce the program on Thursday.
With a goal of reaching more than 2,500 young people ages 13 to 25 annually by the year 2035, the program will focus on post-secondary education and career development, aiming to unlock doors that too often remain closed—using tennis as a powerful catalyst for change.
“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,” said Venus and Serena Williams.
“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 Williams Family Excellence Program will build upon the work of the USTA Foundation, which supports 300 community-based programs offering tennis, education, and mentorship to more than 200,000 young people from under-resourced communities in 2025 alone.
Venus Williams played singles, doubles and mixed doubles at 45 during this year’s U.S. Open. Serena, her younger sister, won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and the sisters won 14 more together in doubles.
Three pillars will be central to the success of this program over the next ten years. They include:
- Excellence Team “Accelerating Excellence of Future Champions” — USTA Foundation community-based organizations will continue to identify, track, and recruit young people from 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.
- College Scholarships and Player Grants “Facilitating Excellence Through Higher Education” — Core to the current structure and strategy of the USTA Foundation, this will continue to focus on increasing the number of scholarship opportunities for older youth so that they can achieve their educational and tennis goals.
- Internships and Entrepreneurships “Unlocking Excellence in Career Advancement” — The Williams Family Excellence Program will expand on the USTA Foundation’s already established Career Pathways Program, which focuses on positioning young people to teach the next generation of leaders how to excel in multiple areas of their lives, by training their bodies and minds. This internship and entrepreneur program will provide young people with the opportunity to learn life lessons and lead from the baseline to the boardroom.
Additional reporting from usopen.org.
