Serena Williams on Being a Hands-On Mum to Olympia
Serena Williams Says "Nothing Is a Sacrifice For Me When It Comes to" Daughter Olympia
Image Source: Getty / Michael Bradley / AFP
Serena Williams has embraced motherhood and loves being there for every moment with her 4-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian — even though she once thought she'd never have children.
Williams appears on the Vogue September 2022 cover, out 9 Aug. In the interview, she confirmed her upcoming retirement from tennis but said she still plans to participate in this year's US Open. She also spoke candidly about being a mum and how it has related to her career.
"Earlier in my career, I never thought about having kids," she explained. "There were times when I've wondered if I should ever bring kids into this world, with all its problems. I was never that confident or comfortable around babies or children, and I figured that if I ever did have a baby, I would have people taking care of it 24/7."
Her experience, though, has been the opposite — though Williams does note that she definitely has "a lot of support." She said, "But I'm also an incredibly hands-on mother. My husband [Alexis Ohanian] will tell you I am too hands-on. In five years, Olympia has only spent one 24-hour period away from me. This past year, while I was recovering from a hamstring injury, I got to pick her up from school four or five days a week, and I always looked forward to seeing her face light up when she walked out of the building and saw me waiting there for her."
Added the iconic athlete, who was photographed by Luis Alberto Rodriguez for the Vogue feature: "The fact is that nothing is a sacrifice for me when it comes to Olympia."
Williams, her husband Alexis, and daughter Olympia just enjoyed a jet-setting overseas holiday together, including stops in Greece and here in the United Kingdom after Wimbledon. While in London, Alexis and Williams showed Olympia all sorts of famous sights, including the London Eye and the Natural History Museum, and took her to a "Bridgerton" afternoon tea experience.
Vogue's September 2022 issue will be available on newsstands on 16 Aug.
