Tennis legend Serena Williams and fiancé Alexis Ohanian welcomed a baby girl in Palm Springs, Florida, on Friday, according to multiple reports.
Serena first announced her pregnancy (20 weeks) in April with a Snapchat photo of herself in a swimsuit. She later admitted that the photo was accidentally shared due to her pressing the wrong phone button. Based upon the announcement timeline, her followers quickly deduced that Williams was expecting when she won the Australian Open in January like a total legend.
35-year-old Serena said she had a “strong suspicion” , before giving birth, that she was having a girl, while Ohanian thought a baby boy was on the way.
“Two weeks after we found out, I played the Australian Open,” Williams explained to Vogue. “I told Alexis it has to be a girl because there I was playing in 100-degree weather, and that baby never gave me any trouble. Ride or die. Women are tough that way.”
Williams was not shy about her experiences as an expectant mother, be it having nonexistent ankles, back pain or trouble sleeping. In a recent Vogue profile, she opened up about being “nervous” about the delivery and whether she would be a good mother.
“I’m not a spring chicken. The one thing I really want is an epidural, which I know a lot of people are against, but I’ve had surgeries galore, and I don’t need to experience any more pain if I can avoid it,” Williams said.
“But the biggest thing is that I don’t really think I’m a baby person. Not yet. That’s something I have to work on,” she added. “I’m so used to me-me-me, taking care of my health, my body, my career. I always ask, ‘Am I going to be good enough?’
As for the future of her tennis career, Williams has every intention of returning to the court, especially considering she’s one title away from beating tennis legend Margaret Court’s record.
“I used to think I’d want to retire when I have kids, but no,” Williams said. “I’m definitely coming back. Walking out there and hearing the crowd, it may seem like nothing. But there’s no better feeling in the world.”
“Obviously, if I have a chance to go out there and catch up with [Margaret Court], I am not going to pass that up,” she added. “If anything, this pregnancy has given me a new power.”
