How Serena Williams rewrote the playbook for female athletes juggling motherhood and sport
Serena Williams is one of the most talented women on the planet, but when it comes to her child, she has faced an uncertain future. Not only has she had to juggle her time with her kids with her athletic career, but she is also having to deal with the fact that so many people aren’t supportive of her.
The two are completely entwined but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a clear line between the two.
Her success has not come without effort; she has won seven Grand Slam titles (including four Wimbledon titles) and is currently ranked #6 in the world. She is also a champion in many other areas, having won the Olympics in 2008 by winning the all-around title.
But in August 2010, she admitted that she had contemplated an abortion when she found out she was pregnant with twins. ‘When I learned I was pregnant with two little boys, I couldn’t accept the fact that I could possibly be responsible for another generation of people with Down syndrome and that I would be raising a child on a daily basis,’ she said.
Ahead of the U.S. Open this year, she told WAGS magazine that she was hoping she would have a big tournament win and then get pregnant. ‘People always ask me how I am able to balance being in a sport with my family,’ the American told the magazine, ‘and while it certainly has required lots of sacrifices,’ ‘I know this is a part of my being, a part of my life that I have to deal with that is not so easy. But I feel like I have a responsibility to be a mom, and I know that no matter what, I will always be a winner.’
But to many, her actions in 2008 and 2010 have been met with a lot of criticism. Her comments on her decision to have an abortion were met with accusations of hypocrisy, sexism, and outright hatred. However, Williams has had to deal with constant pressure, the media and trolls like the one in a comment