"Our Mom was so cruel! We were so deprived!": When Venus Williams jokingly bemoaned how her & Serena Williams' mother Oracene 'ruined' her childhood

Venus Williams once made a playful admission about how her and Serena Williams' mother Oracene Price deprived them of a fun childhood. The American disclosed how their lunch experience in school differed from their fellow students.

Williams made her Grand Slam breakthrough at the 2000 Wimbledon championships, winning her first Major title after beating defending champion Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 7-6(3) in the final. By 2002, she had four Slams under her belt. The American often credited her parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, for her success.

However, when asked whether she regretted not having a 'normal' childhood, Venus Williams responded in the affirmative. In an interview with The Guardian in 2002, the American humorously described her mother as "cruel" because of how deprived she and Serena Williams were.

"But our Mom was so cruel! I'm always telling her that! We were so deprived!" Venus Williams said.

Venus even provided examples, jokingly lamenting how her childhood was "ruined" because her mother sent her and Serena to school with milk and healthy cereal, unlike other children who brought juice and sweet treats.

The American revealed that she had confronted Price regarding the issue, only to be told that she didn't want them to consume any sugar since they already had too much energy.

"Well, you know most kids in their lunch boxes have little happy juices and stuff - we didn't get juices, we got milk! It ruined my childhood, you know. All my friends got Captain Crunch cereal or Froot Loops, and we had to have Puff Wheat...," she said.

"So cruel! No Froot Loops! Of course, when I confront her Mom makes excuses - she didn't want us to have sugar because we were already all bouncing off the walls - but that's no good to me now! The damage is done!" she added.

Nevertheless, Venus Williams acknowledged that her father Richard Williams and her mother Oracene Price had ensured that she and Serena Williams were happy while growing up.

"She worries for me" - Venus Williams on her mother Oracene Price's reaction to her exploring other interests outside tennis

Serena and Venus Williams with mother Oracene - Source: Getty

Apart from her daughters' sugar intake, Oracene Price also worried about Venus Williams not focusing entirely on her tennis career. During a press conference at the 2004 Australian Open, the American opened up about her ambitious nature, disclosing that she often tried new activities outside of tennis.

However, Williams admitted that her mother tended to fret about her shifting her attention away from tennis as she developed new interests and hobbies.

"I'm quite ambitious, I think. I try a lot of things. I notice also when I'm trying different things, like I'll learn new things. My mom, she's kind of sitting like this (closed mouthed). She knows that I try too much, and she worries for me. She doesn't want me to lose my focus on tennis," she said.

Although Venus Williams made it clear that she would always come back to tennis, she shared that she felt her game was more well-rounded when she tried new experiences. On the tennis front, the American suffered a shock third-round exit at the Australian Open, losing 6-4, 7-6(5) to Lisa Raymond.