‘Didn’t Rebel as a Kid’ – Serena Williams’ Ambiguity on How She Wants to Raise Daughter Olympia

Scrolling through the stories of successful tennis players, one can see that most of them first held a tennis racquet at a young age. Similar was the case with Serena Williams. Going back in time, one of the greatest tennis players of all time first held a tennis racquet at the age of four. Going through her career, it is needless to say that she rightly moved on the correct path to success.

After building one of the greatest careers in professional tennis, the 40-year-old recently shocked the world by announcing her retirement. Making the announcement, the 23-time Grand Slam champion asserted that she is looking to expand her family. Heading towards the next chapter of her life, she opened up about the way she wants to raise her daughter.

Serena Williams recalls her childhood days with her parents

Making her debut in 1995, Serena went on to dominate women’s tennis in the utmost fashion. Ending her career after spending 27 years on the tour, Serena today enjoys the pleasure of being addressed as one of the biggest names in the history of the sport. However, even though she dominated the game, Serena feels that tennis has always been a ‘sacrifice’ for her.

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Diving into her retirement note in VOGUE, she asserted, “I think tennis, by comparison, has always felt like a sacrifice—though it’s one I enjoyed making.”

Fans who follow Serena know very well about her life as a kid. The 4-time Olympic gold medalist was taught tennis by her father, Richard Williams, on the public courts of Compton. Going back to her childhood, she asserted, “When you’re younger, you see kids having fun, and you want to do that stuff but you know you have to be on the court, hoping that one day it will all pay off. I got pushed hard by my parents.”

Williams hopes to see Olympia succeed ‘in whatever captures her interest’

Digging further into her childhood, it was her father, Richard Williams’ dream, to see her daughter become the biggest name in the sport. It was also the reason he made sure to be hard on his daughters during training. However, wanting to fulfill her father’s dream, it was Serena who always made sure to work as per her father’s instructions.

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Going ahead in the conversation, she said, “Nowadays so many parents say, “Let your kids do what they want!” Well, that’s not what got me where I am. I didn’t rebel as a kid. I worked hard, and I followed the rules.”

Even though Serena is looking to expand her family, she is rightly making sure to give the required attention to daughter Olympia as well. Heading towards the end, she admitted, “I do want to push Olympia—not in tennis, but in whatever captures her interest. But I don’t want to push too hard. I’m still trying to figure out that balance.”

What are your thoughts on Serena’s plans for her daughter Olympia? Will the 4-year-old walk in her mother’s shoes to become the next big name in tennis? Share your opinions in the comments below.