"The hardest part is walking out of the house while Olympia's crying" - When Serena Williams opened up about feeling 'vulnerable' as a working mom

Serena Williams once openly discussed the challenges of being a working mother as she juggled her tennis career with parenting her daughter Olympia. The American and her husband Alexis Ohanian had their first child in September 2017.

After winning the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant with Olympia, Williams arrived in Melbourne for the 2020 edition of the event with her two-year-old daughter in tow. The American had a short-lived run at the Major, losing to Wang Qiang in the third round.

In an interview with CBS shortly after her campaign, Serena Williams opened up about feeling "vulnerable and upset" everytime she had to do the difficult task of leaving her Olympia behind when she was crying because she wanted to be with her mother.

"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. Even in Australia, my heart was aching when I left the door," she said.

However, Williams pointed out that mothers had to push through the emotional difficulty and continue to show their strength on a daily basis.

"You just have to keep going. Just when you think you can't do it anymore, you kind of close your eyes and go for it. We're strong. We keep going and wake up the next day and smile like nothing ever happened. That's just what we do," she added.

Serena Williams: "I can't imagine working a full day like most working women and then go back to their babies"

Serena Williams - Source: Getty

Despite discussing the challenges, Serena Williams acknowledged being in a privileged position as a tennis player compared to other working mothers, who had to work a full day before returning to their children.

In the same interview, the 23-time Grand Slam champion also admitted that, despite being in charge of her own schedule and having ample time off, she still found it challenging to spend enough quality time with her daughter Olympia.

"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 said.

Serena Williams retired from professional tennis at the 2022 US Open and welcomed her second daughter, Adira River, with husband Alexis Ohanian in August 2023.