Tyson Chandler may be seeing Wimbledon in the distant future. The ‘Knicks’ player recently told the New York Post that his daughter, Sacha Marie, has been inspired by Serena Williams to pursue tennis.
“It’s hard to describe or fathom what Serena has done for African-American women, especially young women,” said Chandler. “That’s the reason why my daughter had interest in the game. That’s the reason she wanted to play. Because she watched Serena. A lot of fathers like myself who have young daughters saw Serena and saw opportunities when they wouldn’t have thought it before. That’s what Serena and Venus did. They’re the catalysts.”
Tyson went on to talk about Serena, telling the publication that she knows how to be both classy and fierce. “Serena, as ladylike as she is, she’s a fierce competitor on the court. She gives it her all and she has the competitive edge over the others. Combine that with the talent she was blessed with, it created a legend. [Growing up in Compton] I think made her tougher, coming from a tough area,” explained the New York ‘Knicks’ player.
Although he expressed much admiration for Venus and Serena’s work ethic that was partially inspired by long hours of practice with their dad, Chandler said that he isn’t aiming to work his daughter so hard during the beginning stages of training. “I want her to have fun with the game now,” said the athlete. “I don’t want her to think about anything that competitive. That’s how I was brought up — to have fun with basketball. I don’t want her have that pressure. I want her more focused on her education. Sports should always be fun.”
Sacha is Tyson’s daughter with wife Kimberly. The couple have three kids in all.
Photos: PCN
