“I never wanted to choose between tennis and a family,” said Serena Williams back in 2022. However, that same year in August, the tennis legend consciously gave up tennis to focus on her family. She announced her decision in Vogue magazine and her IG account, stating, “There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction.” Sometimes it becomes very difficult to juggle a career and family, and when you’re a superstar like Serena Williams, the job gets much tougher. While Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, has been a strong support every step of the way—he even took a 16-week paternity leave—Williams always had a clear idea about how she wanted things to be.
On September 30, the 43-year-old sat down for a fun segment with Glamour to debunk some myths. While the questions were mostly light-hearted, the former player came across one that stated, “You have to choose between sports and family.” “Hmm, that’s a good one,” contemplated the superstar. She now has two daughters with her husband, Alexis Ohanian. Their elder daughter Olympia was born on September 1, 2017, and she gave birth to Adira River Ohanian on August 15, 2023. How does Williams feel about being the mother of two beautiful daughters?
Just two years ago in the August issue 0f Vogue magazine, Serena Williams had said, “I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out,” while she was contemplating on whether or not to give Olympia the little sister she had been asking for. Cut to now, the player can’t be more comfortable slipping into the role of a retired tennis player spending more time with her family.
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“I think at some point you have to choose if you want to have kids. But for me, I decided to choose being a mom,” she said in the video, before adding, “I never thought I’d say that. But just hanging out with my girls and spending time with them and just showing up every day as an achievement. And that’s not easy! I can’t think of anything else that I achieved that’s better or greater than that.“
However, as the 23-time Grand Slam winner has made the transition, there’s also some hard truths she’s learned along the way…
“It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby” – Serena Williams
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In an Instagram post, Serena Williams once wrote, “It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby. We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be. However, that means although I have been with her every day of my life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be.” She further added, “Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes. I’m here to say: if you are having a rough day or week – it’s ok – I am, too!!! There’s always tomm!“
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Has motherhood made Serena Williams an even greater legend in your eyes?
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It’s never easy to leave your kids and go out for work. Most of the mothers face this challenge in their lives. However, for Serena, her elder daughter Olympia has now become more of her motivation. She revealed the same during her playing days, saying she (Olympia) keeps her going especially during the tournaments. What does her husband Alexis Ohanian think of Serena Williams’ incredible ability to manage a perfect balance between work and mom life?
In 2021, during an interview with PEOPLE, Ohanian revealed that he’s still working to find a balance in these in his life. However, according to him, “Something (Williams) is really good at is shutting it off and focusing on family time and personal time.” However, with time even Ohanian realized, “It’s not always easy — my wife’s job takes her all over the world, as does mine — but I will do whatever I can, even if it means taking a dreaded red-eye or making a 24-hour international trip, to optimize time with Olympia and Serena.”
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So Serena Williams is not just showing the path to all other working mothers, but also helping her husband to find the perfect formula for this incredible work-life balance.
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Has motherhood made Serena Williams an even greater legend in your eyes?