Serena Williams gave insights into her soul life in front of 10,000 women during the 15th edition of the “Conference for Women” in Philadelphia.
37-year-old Williams, who campaigns for women’s rights, also spoke at the Convention Center about her insecurity as a “mum”. Her husband Alexis Ohanian had made sure that “Greatest Momma of all time” was written on four billboards on the Palm Springs Highway shortly before her comeback on the professional tour in Indian Wells in March 2018. G.M.O.A.T.”
This meant Serena Williams, who gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. on September 1, 2017. “What my husband did was so sweet. Because I’m always insecure and think that I’m not enough as a mother,” Williams said and said, “I think we should talk about these things that are unpleasant for us.”
Williams had not expected her comeback in the WTA circuit to be so successful after the complicated birth and further operations as a result of a life-threatening embolism. “To get to the Wimbledon finals was really incredible for me. Less than a year earlier I was lying in a hospital bed – with a child. And then to reach the US Open Final…”
Williams, who ended her tennis year prematurely, pointed out the difficult role and poor starting position of many mothers in the USA during her performance on the big stage – especially with regard to medical care.
“Why do they treat mothers that way in this country, which is supposed to be so technologically advanced? However, I was really lucky because I had the opportunity to have my voice heard,” the 23-time Major winner stressed.
She had a “wonderful doctor” listening to her at the time. “But there are so many women who are not heard. It’s really unacceptable.”
The former number one is also happy to have met her husband. “By chance,” as she pointed out. “I never thought,” Williams admitted, “that we would get married and have this wonderful child. But it happened.”
Looking to the future of her little daughter, she hopes that she will later experience how “women support each other” and people “act with a humble attitude”.