Known for her incredible prowess on the tennis court, Serena Williams has also shown remarkable strength and resilience in her journey through motherhood. In addition to her 23 Grand Slam titles, her role as a mother has become one of her most significant and demanding challenges, redefining her priorities in life and revealing an inspiring story of triumph in the midst of adversity.
Serena Williams with two daughters is a proud mother.
Serena Williams never thought about raising children at the beginning of her tennis career and subsequently admitted that she was hesitant to have children in such a turbulent world. Additionally, she didn’t feel very safe or comfortable around infants and children at the time, so she assumed that someone else would eventually take care of her children.
But when she got older and fell in love, a lot changed. She welcomed her first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., on September 1, 2017, alongside her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
Then, in August 2023, six years later, Williams gave birth to their second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, making their family even bigger.
However, being a mother presented additional difficulties.
She almost died after giving birth to her first child.
Williams described her difficult birth experience in an emotional article for Elle magazine, highlighting how realizing at age 11 that she had a high-risk susceptibility to blood clots saved her life. Since suffering a life-threatening pulmonary embolism in 2011, she has continued to monitor her health. This is why she saw symptoms of a clot that appeared right after giving birth.
In her horrifying story, she described how shortly after giving birth by cesarean section, she felt excruciating agony and numbness in her legs and soon found herself immobile. She later developed coughing and deep breathing, both symptoms of a blood clot, which led to burst stitches and another trip to the operating room.
Upon awakening, she experienced a “dying” sensation. Williams forced herself to get out of bed and find a nurse to help her, even though she was afraid she was going to pass out. This prevented her mother from having unnecessary worries. Since then, she has had to stand her ground and go through several rejections from doctors to get a CAT scan of her lungs.
The doctor finally gave up after Williams vehemently insisted that Williams was right. Her health was complicated as many clots were found which eventually had to be surgically removed in order to be fully treated. She “just wanted to be with her baby” and was tired of the experience. Although it did not end tragically, the delay in diagnosis resulted in her being hospitalized for seven days and bedridden for six weeks, taking an unimaginable physical and emotional toll on the new mother.
After giving birth, she suffered from remorse.
The 42-year-old spoke openly about experiencing “postpartum emotions”, which she refers to as “negative emotions” rather than postpartum depression. She explained her deliberate choice of words in the podcast, saying she wanted to dispel the stigma attached to terms like “depression” and emphasize that problems don’t always have to be accompanied by a professional diagnosis.
Williams posted a picture on Instagram in August 2018 of herself reflected on a cliff top at dusk. The text offered a personal analysis of these “postpartum emotions”. She talked about feeling like a bad mother and having trouble juggling personal things.
She emphasized the value of communication, adding that she learned that her feelings were normal when she discussed them with her mother, sisters, and friends.
She went on to reassure other mothers that it is common to feel like they are not providing enough care for their children. Williams, who was juggling motherhood and a tennis career at the time, acknowledged that it was difficult to find the right balance, but emphasized that working mothers and stay-at-home mothers have comparable difficulties.
She has already spoken about the worst points in her emotional journey as a mother. She expressed her anguish and sadness on Twitter in July of that year at missing her daughter’s first steps in preparation for Wimbledon. This incident reveals the compromises that athletes—especially mothers—can make to balance their professional lives with meaningful family time.
She prioritized parenthood and stopped playing tennis.
Williams talked about how she would run home from tennis matches, excited to see her child, in a 2020 interview. She had never been happier to hear Olympia “squealing” with joy to see her. Two years later, she announced that she would take a sabbatical from the sport.
In February 2023, she emphasized that she was happy to focus on her family life and reiterated her decision. While it would be challenging for her to play tennis again right now, she knows she has what it takes and can still perform at a high level.
She doesn’t hesitate to share the less glamorous aspects of being a mother on social media.
The tennis icon is very engaged on social media and never misses a chance to share an open view of her real-life parenting experiences.
In November 2023, she uploaded a funny clip on TikTok that aptly depicted a typical mother’s Day.
Williams appears in the video in the stunning black sequin dress she wore to the 2023 CFDA Awards. Then, with a hilarious cut to a relatable mother moment, the camera shows her pumping breast milk while letting out a long, deep sigh. Williams admitted in the headlines that her life is not as glamorous as it might seem.
The video received support from viewers in the comments section. Many thought it was extremely true, proving that becoming a mother is not for the “weak”, as one user put it. Some expressed gratitude for a celebrity being honest enough to provide true behind-the-scenes footage, saying things like, “If this isn’t real life, I don’t know what is.” Thanks for showing you’re in the trenches with us.”
Despite the challenges, she adores her role as a mother.
Williams often discusses motherhood, including its joys, on Instagram.
In a 2019 post, she considered her first two years of motherhood to be her “greatest achievement”.
In an interview with Vogue in 2022, she emphasized her hands-on parenting style and said that she likes to be very active in raising her daughter Olympia. Olympia has only been separated from her by one full day in the past five years due to her unwavering commitment.
Even though Williams is an extremely fit athlete, she said she doesn’t feel like a victim when it comes to her daughter.
Nick Jonas is the one who understands family best. The singer claims that his own parents saved his life at the age of thirteen.
He spoke about the moving experience and his desire to help others going through similar circumstances.
Serena Williams’ journey through motherhood has been a profound mix of triumphs and tribulations. Her unflinching honesty in sharing the difficulties she faced after giving birth, from life-threatening medical complications to the emotional turmoil of postpartum emotions, resonated deeply with many.
Her narrative goes beyond the court and reveals the challenges working mothers often face in balancing career aspirations with the demands of family life. Williams’ decision to prioritize her role as a mother and take a break from tennis underscores the depth of her commitment to her family.
Through candid posts on social media, she breaks down the facade of glamor and offers a real picture of the everyday struggles of a mother. Despite the trials, her love for her daughters shines through and she portrays motherhood as her most treasured achievement.
Her openness not only demystifies society’s ideas about motherhood but also empowers and reassures other mothers who face similar challenges. Serena Williams is a testament to the strength, resilience, and unconditional love that define the profound journey of motherhood.