Knicks center Tyson Chandler grew up near Serena Williams in Compton, Calif., and is proud she helped put his nook of Los Angeles on the sports map with her tennis greatness.
Chandler is even prouder Serena inspired his 7-year-old daughter, Sacha Marie, to want to play tennis. While Chandler isn't pushing his daughter to be a professional, she's at least in good hands as a pupil at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy on Randall's Island.
Chandler took her daughter to see Serena play in the U.S. Open semifinals. The 31-year-old Williams eventually won her fifth Open on Sunday, giving her 17 Grand Slam titles, as many as Roger Federer.
"It's hard to describe or fathom what Serena has done for African-American woman, especially young woman,'' Chandler told The Post before attending a Fashion Week event in Manhattan. "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.''
Chandler, 30, grew up 10 minutes from Serena's home in hardscrabble Compton. He never saw her on the fabled cracked Compton courts, mostly because he never had any interest in tennis. Serena and Venus moved with their family to South Florida before entering high school. Still, everyone knew the Williams sisters.
"I heard stories in high school how they practiced on the courts, their father training them at all hours of the day,'' Chandler said. "I give the father and mother a lot of credit for giving them an opportunity in that area where it's all basketball and football. Nobody thought about tennis in Compton. They opened the door and opened our eyes to that sport.''
Mark McEnroe, who is manager of John's academy, says it's too early to project what path Sacha Marie will take, but she is the kind of athlete U.S. tennis officials want to develop to help the sagging American game.
"She clearly is athletic and obviously has the right genes,'' Mark McEnroe said. "And she has the profile of the kind of athlete John is after — having a serious, high-level professional athlete in her family.''
Chandler soon wants his daughter to meet Serena.
"Serena, as ladylike as she is, she's a fierce competitor on the court,'' said Chandler, who is working out at the Knicks practice facility with a few teammates in anticipation of the start of training camp on Sept. 30. "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.''
Chandler says he has no particular ambition of his daughter turning pro. If it happens, it happens.
"I want her to have fun with the game now,'' Chandler said. "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.''
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