23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams is on the cover of the latest edition of Time magazine discussed married life, daughter Alexis Olympia Oha
23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams is on the cover of the latest edition of Time magazine discussed married life, daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. and her continuing comeback ahead of the 2018 US Open, all ahead of her 18th appearance at the US Open and 19 years after her first victory in Flushing Meadows. Serena who is currently preparing for the US open in NYC after a 14 month absence sees her return as her chance to tie Margaret Court’s all-time record of Grand Slam singles wins.
Here are excerpts from Serena Williams Time interview
On why she dedicated Wimbledon to mothers everywhere
“I dedicated that to all the moms out there who’ve been through a lot. Some days, I cry. I’m really sad. I’ve had meltdowns. It’s been a really tough 11 months. If I can do it, you guys can do it too.”
On post partum depression
She says she is determined to keep playing despite her postpartum emotions when asked why she continues to pursue her tennis career despite the fact that it’s getting even harder to leave her daughter.
“I’m not done yet, simple,” she says. “My story doesn’t end here.”
On breast feeding
She says she is putting breastfeeding first despite advice from her coach. “You have the power to sustain the life that God gave her…You have the power to make her happy, to calm her. At any other time in your life, you don’t have this magical superpower. It’s absolutely hard to take from a guy…He’s not a woman, he doesn’t understand that connection, that the best time of the day for me was when I tried to feed her. I’ve spent my whole life making everyone happy, just servicing it seems like everyone. And this is something I wanted to do,” she says before recalling her coach Patrick Mouratoglou telling her she should stop nursing to help her tennis game.
On the unfair drug-testing
“Look at me,” she says. “I was born this way. They’re like, ‘Oh, she can’t be that great, she must be doing something.’ I don’t even lift weights.” Serena laughs. “It’s all God, you know,” she says. “But whatever.”
On Colin Kaepernick who once insulted her
While Serena Williams doubts he will be given a spot on an NFL team, she thinks he could win the Super Bowl if given the chance.
“He’d have so much to prove. I would. I can’t imagine he would be any different. ‘Man, I’m about to show out. Y’all gonna see stuff you’ve never seen before.’ He hasn’t lost his joy,” she says of Kaepernick. “Colin is happy with what he’s doing…Some people are different. He’s just different.”
Click here to read the full interview
