Serena Williams was one of the most renowned sporting icons with a plethora of experience in dealing with pressure. Since her debut, she has flawlessly controlled her nerves and is famous for handling rough situations. However, in contrast to that, she was just like any other mother to be during her pregnancy.

Williams faced all sorts of problems and was as puzzled as any new mother. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was expecting the connection with her infant that has been allegedly experienced by women around the world for decades. And when she didn’t feel the way as she was told, she had a few doubts about herself, which she mentioned in her Vogue interview later.

Serena Williams about her journey

Williams, after welcoming Olympia, sat down for an interview and opened up about the different stages of her pregnancy and childbirth. While disclosing the details of her journey, she spoke about the pre-birth bond between a mother and her child. She said, “I was nervous about meeting my baby. Throughout my pregnancy, I’d never felt a connection with her.”

 “I didn’t have that amazing ‘Oh my God, this is my baby moment’, ever. It’s something people don’t usually talk about, because we’re supposed to be in love from the first second. Yes, I was a lioness who would protect her baby at any cost, but I wasn’t gushing over her.”

Thereafter she added, “Some of my mom friends told me they didn’t feel the connection in the womb either, which made me feel better. But still, I longed for it.” Serena and husband Alexis Ohanian became parents in September 2017. Since then Olympia has been their centre of focus.

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From tending to Olympia’s injury to having her by her side cheering and supporting her in the important moments of her career, the former World no.1 has certainly balanced her professional and personal lives perfectly.

Williams says goodbye

The seven-time US Open champion, after making a comeback at Wimbledon this year, decided to bid farewell to her beloved sport. Serena chose to end her career in a place where her career blossomed in 1999: Flushing Meadows. She chose to participate in the last Grand Slam of the season to mark the end of her career in front of the loving and caring home crowd. She stepped into the hard court of the US Open and, riding high on fan support, outclassed her opening round opponent in straight sets.

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Thereafter, giving a glimpse of her former self, Williams took down the former World no.2 Anett Kontaveit. Then came the Aussie Ajla Tomljanović, who ended the 40-year-old’s march to her seventh US Open trophy. With 23 Grand Slam singles titles to her name, she walked out of the tournament as well as the sport.