Serena Williams Confirms Oft-Told Story About Her Dad: 'That Was A Real Moment'

“King Richard,” the new biopic about Richard Williams coaching daughters Venus and Serena to tennis greatness, includes a scene in which Richard, played by Will Smith, tells a school-age Serena (Demi Singleton) that she will be the greatest player of all time.

On Thursday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” host Jimmy Kimmel asked Serena Williams if that truly happened. (Watch the video below.)

“That was a real moment,” she replied. “That’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

“I remember thinking like, how am I gonna do this, how am I gonna reach that goal, how am I gonna get there?”

She did, winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles (so far) while being widely regarded as the women’s tennis G.O.A.T.

Richard Williams’ predictions that his daughters would dominate tennis and that Serena would be even better than Venus have often been reported.

The movie, executive-produced by the sisters, portrayed the moment happening during Venus Williams’ first pro tournament. Venus was 14 as the younger Serena watched.

On “Kimmel” Serena couldn’t recall her exact age when her dad made the optimistic forecast, but it’s cool to watch her reminisce.