"As a mom, you're completely vulnerable & that's what makes it scary" - When Serena Williams revealed her inner conflict as a mom and champion athlete

Serena Williams once candidly shed light on the challenges of motherhood, especially when it conflicted with her psychology as a champion athlete. Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian welcomed their first child Olympia in September 2017.

The American was pregnant with her daughter Olympia when she defeated her sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the 2017 Australian Open final and clinched her historic 23rd Grand Slam title. After her maternity leave, the American rejoined the tour and started juggling motherhood and her tennis career.

In a 2020 interview with TODAY Parents, Serena Williams opened up about how there was no space for vulnerability in the life of a professional athlete. In contrast, she pointed out that mothers were "completely vulnerable" when it came to their children, which made balancing both roles very "scary" for her.

"As an athlete, you can't be vulnerable. You have to be strong. As a mom, you're completely vulnerable to everything. And that's what makes it scary," she said.

However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged that everyday working mothers had it much harder than her, given that they didn't have the luxury of making their own schedules like she did.

"I don't know how moms do it. I work a lot, and I can't imagine working a full day like most working women and then go back to their babies. I'm fortunate enough that I have days off, and I get to make my schedule and then can spend the rest of the day with her. And that's still hard," she added.

Although Serena Williams lamented not being able to spend enough quality time with Olympia, she made sure to introduce her daughter to tennis by handing her a small racket at a very young age. However, the former World No. 1 revealed that her daughter preferred soccer to tennis, which made her very "jealous."

"My heart was aching when I left the door" - Serena Williams opened up about leaving her daughter Olympia behind to compete at Australian Open

Serena Williams with her daughter Olympia - Source: Getty

In the same interview, Serena Williams made an honest admission about how the "hardest" part of motherhood was having to leave her daughter Olympia at home amid her professional commitments. The American emphasized that it had been especially heartbreaking to go out the door when she was competing at the 2020 Australian Open while being accompanied by her daughter.

"The hardest part is walking out of the house while she's crying because she wants to be with me. It's very hard and makes me vulnerable and upset," Serena Williams said. "Even in Australia, my heart was aching when I left the door."

However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion did not have to be away from Olympia for too long, since she crashed out of the Melbourne Slam in the third round. Wang Qiang pulled off a 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 win over Williams to advance to the Round of 16.

Serena Williams eventually retired from professional tennis at the 2022 US Open, citing her desire to expand her family with husband Alexis Ohanian. The couple later welcomed their second daughter, Adira River, in August 2023.