‘Don’t Stop Your Work..’- Allyson Felix on How Serena Williams’ Retirement Essay Struck a Chord With Her as a Mother

Earlier this year, Serena Williams announced that she was ‘evolving away from tennis’. Throughout her career, she has had skeptics, haters, and critics. Nevertheless, the legendary American persevered and had a meteoric career. 

Williams had received a lot of support from great personalities around the globe. Retired American track and field athlete Allyson Felix revealed how she got inspired from Serena’s retirement essay on Vogue, where she announced that about wanting to focus on balancing her personal life and Serena Ventures.

Felix accords with Serena Williams’ retirement decision

Felix resonated with Williams’ decision to address it as a transition over other things. Williams cited her family as the main reason she retired from the sport, and that her four-year-old daughter Olympia wants to be a big sister.

Allyson supported Serena’s views and said, “I loved how she spoke about evolving away from tennis, because as athletes, you know, it’s called retirement, but you are transitioning to other things, and you don’t stop your work, you don’t stop your passions.”

Felix also admires how Williams was candid about men not having to choose between family and career in this way. 

Williams’ ardent advocate for gender equality

Williams is an avid advocate for gender equality both on and off the court. When she announced her retirement from the sport, she made an important statement about the unique sacrifices women have to make in their careers and also about choosing between family and career where men are not questioned, but women are.

Watch this story – Serena Williams had a hilarious challenge for Naomi Osaka’s former coach.

Williams believes it is important to use her platform to fight for women’s equality in sports. She has also taken part in many campaigns about gender equality. 

The 23-time Grand Slam champion wants her legacy to extend beyond the sport as it was one of the reasons that made her a global icon. Coming to tennis, Serena is out of Cincinnati Open after losing against Emma Raducanu in the opening round and will now await to check her luck at the US Open, which will mark her farewell to the sport. 

Also read – ‘Feel Like I’m Not a Girl – Serena Williams Once Opened Up About Her Life-Long Obsession With Britney Spears