Serena Williams recently shared the heartbreaking news that she was in the process of retiring. The reason behind her choice had a lot to do with the double standards faced by women compared to their male counterparts.
While Serena Williams was pregnant with her first child and daughter in April 2017, the tennis player ran circles around her older sister, Venus Williams. She competed in her matches and won against her sister, all while carrying her growing baby.
The star took home the 2017 Australian Open while in her first trimester! At the time, Serena was 35 and played at the sport’s highest level in heated conditions without stopping or slowing down.
Alexis Ohanian, Olympia Ohanian Jr., and Serena Williams at the AFI Fest: Closing Night Premiere of Warner Bros. “King Richard” on November 14, 2021, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Besides dealing with the sport’s heat and physical exertion, the athlete also had to handle the emotional stress of playing against Venus. After giving birth to Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr, Serena went on to win the French Open’s Grand Slam match!
In May 2018, the star made more moves outside of tennis by launching her fashion line! The athlete’s twelve-piece collection was found on her website with affordable prices that ranged from $35 to $250.
Olympia’s mother also launched the SW Serena Williams Jewelry range. Serena explained that her collection was meant as a “beautiful celebration” of all the strong women in her life and worldwide.
On the tennis front, she continued garnering attention with the outfits she wore to her matches. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian Sr., also supported her by pitching to competitions with their daughter.
In September 2020, at the US Open, the Reddit co-founder was wearing a face mask at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. His and Serena’s little girl also wore one, but Alexis’ cover grabbed attention for the words printed on it: “Girl Dad.”
Alexis Ohanian and Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. at the Women’s Singles third round match at the US Open on September 5, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Social media fans couldn’t help but celebrate the businessman taking on the role with pride, like another girl dad like the late Kobe Bryant. Sadly, little did fans know that Serena’s days on the court were numbered.
MAKING SACRIFICES FOR THE THINGS SHE WANTED
In August 2022, Serena wrote a shocking piece for Vogue where she revealed she was in the process of retiring from playing tennis professionally! The star shared how she and Olympia were on a ride to get her passport for a Europe trip when the little girl said something significant.
While playing an interactive educational game on her mother’s phone, Olympia was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. Thinking her mother wasn’t listening, the little girl whispered that she wished to be a “big sister,” causing Serena to confess in her piece:
“I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family.”
The athlete complained that she didn’t think it was fair, and she wouldn’t have had to write the article if she was a man. Instead, Serena would be out playing her sport and winning while her wife did the “physical labor” of growing their family.
The star speculated about being a Tom Brady-like man if she had the chance but clarified that she loved being a woman. She noted that she wasn’t as “stoic and classy” as Venus because she struggled to contain her emotions.
Serena recalled being in kindergarten, learning to write the alphabet, and failing to do so perfectly, which led her to cry throughout the night. The star revealed that she was furious about the incident and would erase and rewrite the letter “A” repeatedly.
Her mother, Oracene Price, allowed her to stay up the whole night practicing while her older sisters slept. Serena confessed that it was the way she’d always been – wanting to be great and perfect – despite knowing perfection never existed, however:
“Whatever my perfect was, I never wanted to stop until I got it right.”
In 2021, Serena and her sister revealed on Red Table Talk that Price was one of the reasons they were star players. The younger Williams sibling shared how their mother worked hard to financially support her family after her husband quit working on coaching the two girls.
Serena said her mother supported a family of seven, keeping the faith that her daughters and husband would be successful in their venture. The athlete believed they wouldn’t have survived without Price’s contribution.
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