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Venus and Serena Williams Launch Program to Empower Under-Resourced Youth Beyond the Court
Tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams are expanding their impact beyond sports by teaming up with the USTA Foundation to launch the Williams Family Excellence Program.
Designed for under-resourced youth and young adults ages 13 to 25, the initiative will provide mentorship, educational support, and career pathways that extend far beyond tennis.
According to the U.S. Open, the program builds on the USTA Foundation’s longstanding work, which has already supported more than 200,000 young people this year. Over the next decade, it aims to reach at least 2,500 youth, focusing on communities with the greatest need and potential.
“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 said in a joint statement. “Our parents always encouraged us to strive for excellence, and tennis gave us the opportunity to chase our dreams. We believe this program will inspire others to dream big and create their own legacies.”
The Williams Family Excellence Program promises to deliver:
High-performance training at little or no cost
College recruitment guidance and access to camps and competitions
Scholarships, player grants, and internships
An entrepreneurship program to cultivate leadership and boardroom-ready skills
The initiative also highlights the sisters’ off-court influence as business leaders and investors. Serena, who retired from professional tennis in 2022, is the founder of WYN BEAUTY, a venture-backed entrepreneur through Serena Ventures, and an investor in multiple unicorn companies. Venus, still an active player at 45, leads the fashion brand EleVen and co-founded the AI startup Palazzo, focused on interior design.
With their combined success in sports, business, and philanthropy, Venus and Serena continue to break barriers—this time by opening doors for the next generation of leaders.
