Many have wondered what Serena Williams’ life after tennis would look like. Widely considered one of the greatest athletes to ever compete, Williams has won 23 Grand Slam titles over a nearly three-decade career.
Last year, Williams played in the U.S. Open, which many assumed was her last match after she penned an essay for Vogue magazine where she suggested she was evolving away from tennis.
It didn’t end the way Williams had hoped. She lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic.
The morning after her loss, she woke up not happy. Naturally the competitor, Williams told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King that she wanted to win and keep going. But Williams also acknowledged that she gave it her all—even if it fell shoer.
“I’ve never felt, I don’t feel like I’ve left anything. But I just felt like, ‘What could I have done better that day,'” Williams said.
It was her lifelong devotion to the game that caused Williams to feel like it was the right time to step away from tennis and devote her time and energy to her most important role: motherhood.
Williams is married to Reddit and venture capital firm, 776, founder Alexis Ohanian. Together the two have a 5-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia, who Williams said is eager to become a big sister.
“The other day she’s like, ‘Everyone has a brother or a sister but me.’ And I’m like, ‘Olympia, I’m working on it. Mommy worked a little too long in tennis, so it’s takin’ a little longer than expected,'” Williams recalled.
