Serena Williams produced a truly spectacular professional tennis career.
She broke down barriers, changed the way the game was played and along with her sister Venus Williams helped pave the way for many players who have been inspired by her achievements.
Serena Williams has broken numerous records in tennis and it would take a phenomenal effort from the active players to reach her impressive tally.
But there is one other thing that the American achieved in her career that highlighted her strength and passion for tennis.
Serena Williams was surprised by the number of women who were inspired by her returning to tennis after giving birth
Williams’ tennis career is filled with many iconic and record-breaking moments.
But one of the most awe-inspiring times during her playing days was winning the 2017 Australian Open pregnant, before taking time off to give birth and return to action the following year.
Williams made four Grand Slam finals after giving birth and she claimed her final title at the 2020 ASB Classic in Auckland.
Williams returning to the tour and still being able to compete at the highest level inspired her fellow players, and since then several players have taken off to give birth before returning to action.
Reflecting on how she inspired the WTA Tour, Williams admitted she was surprised by the impact of her decision to pause her career to have a child before returning to the court.
“I had no doubts. I knew I wasn’t done with tennis. This was after my first, I knew that I was going to go back,” she said via Melinda French Gates’ YouTube channel.
“I didn’t know the welcome that I would receive, not from the players. Obviously that was a nice welcome too. But just from moms in general. So many players in general told me that they did not think they could get pregnant and play until they saw me do it.
“There had been other people that did it but for whatever reason when I was able to do it, they all felt empowered and I was like I did not expect that story to come from that.
“So that felt good. It felt really good to be able to continue to inspire people that you can be Mom and an athlete.
“For tennis players it’s different because we play 11 months out of the year and train one month. It’s completely different dynamics, so there had not been a ton of women being able to do that. Now a lot of people are choosing to have a child and to be on Tour.”
What is Serena Williams win-loss record after giving birth in 2017?
Following her 2017 Australian Open victory, Williams did not play for the rest of the year.
She returned to the tour in 2018, and played until the 2022 US Open, where she ended her illustrious career.
From 2018 to 2022, Williams played just 101 matches and won 75 of them, losing the other 26.
Her final victory came at the 2022 US Open against Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit in the second round, before Alya Tomljanovic ended Williams’ career in round three.
Who are the mothers on the WTA Tour?
There are several mothers on the WTA Tour, one of whom is Naomi Osaka.
The Japanese star gave birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023 and returned to tennis at the start of the 2024 season.
She has yet to win a title, but Osaka reached her first WTA 1000 final in Canada on Thursday. This is the first time she has reached a final at this level since the 2022 Miami Open.
Elina Svitolina became a mother in 2022 and three years later, she comfortably sits inside the WTA’s top 20.
Belinda Bencic returned to tennis earlier this season after having baby girl Bella in April 2024. In just her third tournament back, Bencic won the Abu Dhabi Open and reached the Wimbledon semifinals in July.
In 2016, two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka gave birth to her son Leo and at the age of 37 with two children, Tatjana Maria successfully qualified for Queen’s and went on to win the title, dropping just one set in the process.
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