Serena Williams is celebrated not just for her unparalleled tennis skills, but also for the incredible resilience that has defined her both on and off the court. Throughout her career, we’ve seen her push through grueling matches, conquer injuries, and defy the odds with grit and determination. But her strength extends far beyond her tennis accomplishments—it’s part of how she navigates life’s challenges with a spirit of perseverance and grace. A perfect example of Serena’s resilience was seen during her pregnancy.

The 43-year-old engaged in an interaction with Glamour to discuss several aspects related to her family and her life after tennis. She revealed her immense love for her sisters and highlighted what encouraged her to become a mother for the second time, despite facing immense struggles and complications during her first pregnancy.

Speaking in the interview, Williams said, “I mean, I grew up with girls. I’d honestly never been around boys unless I was dating one.” Williams has garnered love from four sisters, Venus Williams, Yetunde Price, Lyndrea Price, and Isha Price. Continuing further in the interview, she highlighted the importance of sisters and said, “And sisters are so special.” Williams highlighted that these experiences, amalgamated with her determination to let her daughter witness a similar childhood, motivated her for her second pregnancy despite witnessing complications during the first.

There would have been hardly anyone in the tennis community who would be unaware that Serena Williams got pregnant with Olympia ahead of the 2017 Australian Open. While she decided to play in the tournament and even clinched the title, she was always worried about miscarriage. Besides, discussing her challenges during her first pregnancy in a frank op-ed for CNN, Williams recalled being rushed into an emergency C-section after Olympia’s heart rate dropped precipitously during contractions. However, the challenges did not end there.

Williams was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism after giving birth. Her surgical wound burst open. When she was returned to surgery, doctors found a hematoma. Williams was incapacitated for six weeks and still considers that she was fortunate enough to have survived through the difficulties. Despite these, she decided to welcome her second daughter, Adira, but this time, she was more careful.

“This time I went in with a plan. I like to say I put my best effort out there, and this was no different. I literally thought about it as a Grand Slam: How can I succeed?” Williams further said in the interview. It is probably for these reasons, that she has decided to be open about pregnancy and woes related to it and discuss it with young women.

Being a mother of two daughters, Serena Williams knows well the challenges and complications of pregnancy. However, several women in her friend circuit are unaware of these challenges and Williams revealed that she is open to discussing these with them and extending support that she could not get during her own pregnancy.

Speaking in the same interview, Williams highlighted extending help to her friends as and when needed. “I try to tell all my friends that’s normal,” she said. Continuing further, she highlighted her openness in discussing this topic. “I try to be very open with my experience and the things that people didn’t talk about with me. ‘How is that going to come out of me?’ I know it’s been going on since the beginning of time, but it just doesn’t seem to work.” 

For now, it would be interesting to see if Williams reveals more stories from her pregnancy or her shared love for her sisters, thereby mesmerizing the tennis fans.