Serena Williams On The Guilt She Felt Having To Be Away From Her Daughter Due To Her Career, The Pressure of Wanting To Expand Her Family & The Unfair Advantage Men Receive When Having Children

Serena Williams

Serena Williams On The Guilt She Felt Having To Be Away From Her Daughter Due To Her Career, The Pressure of Wanting To Expand Her Family & The Unfair Advantage Men Receive When Having Children

Serena Williams is getting candid about the struggle she faces with being parent while also being a tennis superstar!

Since the announcement of her retirement from tennis, Serena Williams, 40, has been very candid about her life, career and the many ups and downs she has experienced. While greatness is something she knows well, the tennis legend seemingly feels insecure and guilty for the time she has had to be away from her daughter in order to dominate and conquer the sport that she has loved since she was a child.

During a recent interview, the 23-time Grand Slam champion revealed that her daughter Olympia, who turns 5 on Sept. 1, was more than thrilled when she found out her mom was going to retire. Williams said,

“Olympia doesn’t like when I play tennis.”

When Olympia found out the news, she replied with a fist-pumping “Yes!”

Serena Williams & daughter Olympia

Williams admits that her daughter’s reaction was a little bothersome. She said,

“That kind of makes me sad. And brings anxiety to my heart.”

It appears Serena Williams has spent the last few years of her incomparable career tormented by what she’s been sacrificing in order to keep her legacy going.

“It’s hard to completely commit when your flesh and blood is saying, Aw.”

Olympia really wants to be a big sister and has been very vocal to Serena about it. Williams revealed that one day in August her daughter blew on a dandelion, wishing for a baby sister.

“This is what I have to deal with, on a daily.”

Serena Williams, Olympia

While thinking of her own struggle, the tennis pro noted that fathers in sports don’t have the same struggle when it comes to expanding their families. For example, Tom Brady, father of three, can retire and unretire at 44; LeBron James, father of three, can sign a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension at 37. However, woman don’t get that same luxury. Williams explained,

“It comes to a point where women sometimes have to make different choices than men, if they want to raise a family..It’s just black and white. You make a choice or you don’t.”

Lebron James

While her biological clock may have forced her hand,  Serena Williams insists she’s at peace with her decision.

“There is no anger. I’m ready for the transition.”

She added,

“I think I’m good at [parenthood] but I want to explore if I can be great at it.”

While Williams looks forward to expanding her business, Serena Ventures and working on other projects, nothing trumps expanding her family. She explained,

“I can’t imagine my life without my sisters. When I look at Olympia, I’m really not performing at my peak, by not trying harder to give her that sibling. Coming from a big family, and coming from five, there’s nothing better.”

Serena Williams, Husband Alexis Ohanian, and daughter

 

As previously reported, tennis legend Serena Williams revealed earlier this month that she will be retiring sometime after the United States Open tennis competition. Williams shared that her life is evolving and she’s focused on other things. Serena said:

“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution.”

The 40-year-old continued:

“I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”

She added:

But I’ve been reluctant to admit to myself or anyone else that I have to move on from playing tennis. Alexis, my husband, and I have hardly talked about it; it’s like a taboo topic. I can’t even have this conversation with my mom and dad. It’s like it’s not real until you say it out loud. It comes up, I get an uncomfortable lump in my throat, and I start to cry. The only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist!”

She admitted:

“One thing I’m not going to do is sugarcoat this. I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way.” 

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

[VIA]