"This child gonna be playing when your old a** gonna be in grave" - Video of Richard Williams coming to 14-year-old Venus Williams' rescue goes viral

Richard Williams has always been fiercely protective of his daughters, and an old video of him standing up to a reporter during an interview with Venus Williams recently went viral.

Richard's contribution to Venus and Serena Williams' success started early; he once said he drafted an 85-page plan for the sisters when they were just four-and-a-half. Richard began coaching them full-time in 1995, which subsequently led to the pair winning Grand Slam tournaments.

Having faced adversity because of their race throughout their careers, Richard Williams chose to remain extra close to his daughters during their heyday.

A video of him interrupting the then 14-year-old Venus Williams' interview, and then berating the reporter for questioning her confidence, made the rounds on the internet recently. The incident occurred during a one-on-one interview with the then-ABC News correspondent John McKenzie.

It began with McKenzie quizzing Venus Williams if she could beat her opponent, to which Williams confidently responded, "I know I can beat her."

"You know you can beat her?" he followed up.

He then suggested that Venus Williams was "very confident," to which the teen responded in the affirmative.

"I'm very confident," Venus Williams said with a smile on her face.

McKenzie then proceeded to question how Williams felt comfortable about everything, almost as though asking her how she could be so confident. It was at this point that her father, Richard, intervened.

"Alright. Cut right there if you don't mind," said Richard Williams. "And let me tell you why. What she said, she said it with so much confidence the first time, but you keep going on and on."

Richard went on-screen and in front of McKenzie when the latter began complaining about the repeated interruptions.

"You've got to understand that you're dealing with an image of a 14-year-old child. And this child gonna be out there playing when your old a** and me are gonna be in the grave," Richard Williams said.

He continued to remind McKenzie that Venus Williams was just a kid and that he should let her be one.

"When she says something, we done told you what's happening. You're dealing with a little Black kid — and let her be a kid. She answered it with a lot of confidence. Leave that alone," Richard Williams added.

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Venus Williams burst onto the scene more than two decades ago

Venus Williams at the 2000 Olympic Games - X (formerly Twitter)

Venus Williams had a breakthrough in the 2000 season, winning her first and second Grand Slam titles and a double gold medal haul at the Olympic Games.

Wimbledon 2000 was her first Grand Slam title. Venus beat No. 1 Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals, her sister Serena Williams in the semifinals and defending champion, Lindsay Davenport, in the final. She also won the doubles event with her sister Serena Williams.

Venus' second Grand Slam title came at the US Open, where she again beat Lindsay Davenport to lift the title.

Venus Williams continued her good form at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where she claimed gold in both the women's singles and doubles events.