Venus Williams & Vicario’s King Richard Match Is Way More Frustrating After Real-Life Tennis Rule Change Made 2 Years Ago

Venus Williams and Vicario’s tennis match in King Richard was one of the biggest moments in the film, and it is way more frustrating now after a real-life tennis rule change that was made two years ago. Much of King Richard is spent building up to Venus’ match against Vicario, with it being one of the most exciting moments in the film. However, Vicario ends up pulling an act of gamesmanship, with it bringing about a tragic ending to King Richard.

King Richard was one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2021, with Will Smith even winning Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his role in the film. The movie follows tennis trainer Richard Williams as he attempts to turn his two daughters, Venus and Serena Williams, into tennis stars. The movie has seen a recent resurgence in popularity due to King Richard‘s release on Netflix, causing many viewers to wonder how true King Richard‘s final tennis matches are.

The WTA Made Its Bathroom Break Rules More Strict In 2022, 28 Years After Venus & Vicario’s Famous Match

But Only For Men

Near the end of King Richard, Venus Williams plays a match against Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, with Venus taking the first set. Venus is leading in the second set until Vicario decides to take a bathroom break, with it being longer than expected. Venus’ nerves get to her while Vicario is in the bathroom, with her being fully iced by the time Vicario returns to the court, allowing her to win the match.

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the strategic use of bathroom breaks in tennis, leading to the WTA changing its policy in 2022. 28 years after Venus and Vicario’s famous King Richard match, the WTA made its bathroom break rules more strict, changing it so that players only got one bathroom break during a best-of-three match and two during a best-of-five (via Essentially Sports). This rule only applies to men’s tennis, and it doesn’t affect how long each bathroom break can be, but it at least is a start at cracking down on these stalling strategies.

Venus Williams Finally Beat Vicario In A Tennis Tournament In 1998

During Their Third Match

Venus Williams and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario faced off for a second time in 1998, this time in the final of the Sydney International. Although it was a fierce game, Vicario ended up winning 6-1, 6-3, beating Williams for the second time.

Williams and Vicario faced off again later that year in the semifinals of the Italian Open, with the tides finally turning in Venus’ favor. After winning the first set 6-3, Vicario took the second set 6-2, with Williams then winning by taking the third set 7-5. This meant that after three attempts, Venus had finally beaten Vicario, paying off the first match that was shown in King Richard (via Sportskeeda).