During the 2017 Australian Open, Serena Williams was pregnant with her daughter [1], Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. [2] Almost a year later, the tennis superstar announced that she will not be defending her title. Via Snapchat, Serena said, "After performing in my first match after giving birth I realized that although I am super close, I'm not where I personally want to be [3]," she wrote. "My coach and team always said 'Only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way.' With that being said I am disappointed to say I've decided not to compete in the Australian Open this year."

Serena made her return to the tennis court at the World Tennis Championship [4] in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 30, 2017 but lost to Jelena Ostapenko. "However, the memory of last year's Open is one that I will carry with me and Olympia and I look forward to coming back again. I appreciate the support and understanding of my fans and everyone at the Australian Open," she added.