Serena Williams Wins First WTA Tourney As a Mom, Ready For Final Test

Posted on January 14, 2020

Serena Williams has won her first professional tennis tournament as a mom this weekend when she triumphed at the World Tennis Association‘s Auckland Classic on Sunday.

It was 2017 when she last won a WTA title, the Australian Open against her sister and back then, she was weeks pregnant with her now 2-year old daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr with her husband Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

This triumph marks her 73rd WTA championship title and also means she has been mounting tournaments for four decades, after capturing her first title in 1999 at the US Open against Martina Hingis.

Williams announced plans to give back to Australia during her winner’s speech.

“I’ve been playing in Australia for over 20 years and it’s been really hard for me to watch all the news and everything that has been happening in Australia with all the fire and… animals and people that have lost their homes,” she said. “I decided at the beginning of the tournament… I’d donate all my prize money for a great cause.”

With this win, she finally silences the naysayers who believe that pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood signal the end of a sportswomen’s career.

Although she is the most accomplished tennis champ since 1968 when the WTA only permitted professionals to compete, she still faces the final hurdle of earning her 25th Grand Slam title in the so called “Open Era” when amateurs were allowed to compete in Grand Slams. Margaret Court holds the record at 24 and ties with Serena at this point.

Williams can do it and in fact Court won three of her major titles after giving birth to her son in 1972.

Other moms have done it too.

Kim Clijsters won three of her 4 Grand Slams after the birth of her child.

Lindsay Davenport won 3 of her 55 Career titles after giving birth to her son.

And Olympic Gold medalist and seven times Grand slam winner, in 1914, Dorothea Lambert Chambers became the first mother to win a Grand Slam crown.

Mothers can do amazing things! Trust and believe!

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Serena Williams Opens Up About Being Insecure As a Mom

Posted on October 16, 2018

Serena Williams shared her insecurities as a mother to a women’s conference on Friday.

“I always have these insecurities that I’m not good enough as a >mom,” the tennis champ told the group of about 10,000 attendees at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women. “We all go through these different emotions that we all don’t feel comfortable talking about. But I think we should.”

The Philly Voice reported that during the event, Williams, who had a post-partum scare, expressed her shock about learning about the disparity of health outcomes with black and white moms.

She also talked about the pride she has in the fact that since becoming a mom, she has become an outspoken model and inspiration for working women worldwide.

Williams wrapped up her time in the hotseat by saying she wants her 1-year-old daughter to grow up in a world where women support other women.

The success of another woman should be the inspiration to the next,” Williams said.

She and hubby Reddit co-Founder Alexis Ohanian are parents to 1-year old daughter Alexis Olympia Jr.

photo: Getty

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The Perfect Reactions to Serena Williams’ Post-Pregnancy Blood Clot Compression French Open CatSuit Ban

Posted on August 25, 2018

The outfit Tennis champ Serena Williams wore to compete in the 2018 French Open last May triggered the competition to ban her from donning that “Wakanda”-inspired black super hero cat suit for future competitions.

“I believe we have sometimes gone too far. Serena’s outfit this year, for example, would no longer be accepted,” French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli said in an interview with Tennis Magazine, adding it won’t adapt as strict a clothing code as Wimbledon, which requires players to wear all white, but will have its limits. He added that the FFT will be looking to view collections ahead of next year’s tournament.

The 23-time Grand Slam champ designed the suit with her sponsors at Nike with special compression material and technology to aid with blood clots she has and developed dangerously after delivering her first child, daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. with her husband Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

“I feel like a warrior in it, like a warrior princess,” Williams said during a press conference, adding that she felt like a queen from Wakanda, the fictional nation in the movie “Black Panther.”

“I’ve always wanted to be a superhero,” Williams said. “It’s kind of my way of being a superhero.”

Besides making her feel amazing, Williams’ said the outfit choice was also meant to inspire other new moms, especially ones who have also suffered post-pregnancy health issues. “For all the moms out there who had a tough recovery from pregnancy — here you go. If I can do it, so can you!” she wrote on Instagram at the time. She had been in bed for weeks after delivering because of the clots.

“I’ve been wearing pants in general a lot when I play so I can keep the blood circulation going,” Williams told reporters. “So it’s a fun suit but it’s also functional, so I can be able to play without any problems.”

This is yet another bump in her road after motherhood. Not only did she lose her rank when she had a baby last September, but she also suffered postpartum blood clot related near-death experience, postpartum blues too.

Nike had the perfect response to the catsuit ban:

“You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers.

I loved April on Twitter’s response which was supported by another Tennis Legend, Chris Evert!

And others not so subtdly pointed out that Serena was not the first to wear a catsuit though the first to be banned for it.

What was once a scandalous outfit is now, if not de rigueur, simply no big deal, thanks to fashion taste makers like Serena Williams. Well done @serenawilliams for your fashion tribute to Anne White and her 1985 Wimbledon outfit. pic.twitter.com/FCGONKXLA1

— Alexis Shabadoo Jr. (@JDGoodness) May 29, 2018

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Serena Williams Opens Up About Dealing With Postpartum Blues

Posted on August 9, 2018

In the same week that one of her good friends Beyonce opened up about having preeclampsia before delivering her twins Sir and Rumi, 23-times Grand Slam Tennis champ Serena Williams revealed that she was in the middle of dealing with postpartum blues when she pulled out of the Rogers Cup tournament citing “personal reasons.”

In an emotional Instagram post, she wrote: “Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom,” adding, “it’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby…We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be. However, that means although I have been with her every day of her life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be.”

Williams, who recently gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia with husband Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, also offered gave up some encouraging words to other moms out there dealing with similar issues:

“Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes.” Read the post and check out a TODAY video on the story below:

View this post on Instagram

Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom. I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal. It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby. We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be. However, that means although I have been with her every day of her life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be. Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes. I’m here to say: if you are having a rough day or week–it’s ok–I am, too!!! There’s always tomm!

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Aug 6, 2018 at 3:24pm PDT

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15 Celeb Moms Celebrating Mother’s Day First Time

Posted on May 14, 2018

There were a lot of celebrity births over the past year which means yesterday, plenty of celebrity women we’ve “bumpwatched” and became moms for the first time ever were able to celebrate their first Mother’s Day.

One trend we noticed among this latest crop of first time moms: either they’ve concealed their babies from the spotlight, and laid low since becoming a mom or they’ve been all in, giving their babies their own Instagram or making them the star of the parents social media feed. No in between. All In or Nothing. Whatever floats their boat, we’re sure each had a great time yesterday celebrating Mom’s Day for the first time since their babies were born. Here is a run down:

International human rights attorney Amal Clooney and husband George Clooney are very private people, yet the arrival of their first set of children, twins —a boy named Alexander and girl named Ella— was big news yet, the Clooneys have yet to talk about them in the public other than George revealing their first words were “Mamma!”

Tennis legand Serena Williams and her husband Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian welcomed their daughter Alexis Olympia last September and now the duo are stars of an HBO docu series about her arrival.

Khloe Kardashian was one of three of the Kardashian-Jenner women who welcomed a baby this year. Her sister Kylie Jenner had her first baby while Kim Kardashian welcomed her third child via surrogate. She had managed to stay out of spotlight since giving birth to True (with her estranged boyfriend NBA Cleveland Cavaliers star Tristan Thompson) in April 2017.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross and and her two-time Super Bowl champ hubby Aaron Ross welcomed their baby boy, Aaron Ross II in August.

The youngest of the Jenner-Kardashian clan, Kylie Jenner welcomed her daughter Stormi with boyfriend Travis Scott on February 1 and she did an excellent job keeping the entire pregnancy under wraps.

It was last Mother’s Day 2017 that Kevin Hart announced that his wife, Eniko Hart, was expecting their first child. Their son Kenzo Kash made his grand debut in November and every since he’s been one of the happiest babies around!

Bring It On star Kirsten Dunst also did a great job covering up the majority of her pregnancy and only revealed it when she was well into her third trimester while posing for an ad campaign. She welcomed a baby boy this month with fiancé Jesse Plemons and they too have yet to even discuss baby since he arrived.

On May 2, Jordin Sparks and her husband, model Dana Isaiah Thomas welcomed their first child together, son Dana Isaiah Thomas Jr. and the American Idol alum stunned everyone when she was spotted walking the red carpet just three days later. Wow!

Julia Stiles and her husband Preston J. Cook welcomed their son Strummer Newcomb Cook on Oct. 20, 2017. The Silver Linings Playbook star was recently “mommy shamed” for the say she carried her baby in a carrier but clapped back like a champ.

POWER star Naturi Naughton welcomed her daughter, Zuri in July 2017 and she too has been great about keeping her little one out of the public eye but we’re sure she is a looker like her mom.

The Southern Charm star Cameran Eubanks had her daughter Palmer on Nov. 11, 2017. After celebrating with a hilarious shower, Eubanks has since shared lots about mommyhood on her Insta!

The Hills Babyboom

Lauren Conrad led the little baby boom of alums of the MTV show The Hills when she welcomed her first child, son Liam, on July 5 with her hubbie William Tell. Since becoming a mom, she too has laid low but pops up once in a while to show off her mom power!

HEIDI PRATT

Heidi Pratt who was Conrad’s nemesis on the show and her husband Spencer Pratt also welcomed a baby boy named Guinner on October 12017 but unlike the others, they’re pretty out and open about sharing photos of him in social media.

Finally, Whitney Port had her first child Sonny with husband Tim Rosenman in July 2017 and was very transparent about the trials of pregnancy on her YouTube channel but looks to believe it was all worth it.

Shamari DeVoe

Former 90s bandmember and wife to New Edition singer Ronnie DeVoe, singer Shamari Stone DeVo welcomed boy twins, Ronnie III and Roman last October. The boys are so popular they even have their own top social media Instagram account with tons of followers.

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VIRAL: Dad Teaches Daughter Lesson About a Breastfeeding Stranger

Posted on March 27, 2018

In a recent Reddit story that has gone viral, a brother tells what happened when her sister was shamed by a 12-year old girl for breastfeeding in public.

Posted by Redditor u/starsonwith his sister’s permission, the redditor shared how his sis was feeding her newborn son, who he describes as “the world’s cutest little boy”, at a restaurant when a 12-year-old girl sitting at a nearby table with her father commented, “Ew, she has her tit out.” Her dad, however, explained that breastfeeding isn’t an “ew”-worthy action. “No, she’s feeding her baby, it’s natural,” he said in response. The girl then said, “Can’t she do it somewhere like the bathroom?” The dad replied, “Sure she can. You go eat your dinner [in] your bathroom, too.” Bravo! Read the rest of dad’s response in the embed of the story below.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, it is legal — as in, there are laws that spell this out flatly — to breastfeed or chestfeed in any public or private location in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. (For the curious, Idaho is the only state that doesn’t currently have these kinds of laws.) Additionally, breastfeeding is exempt from public indecency laws in 29 states, the District, and the Virgin Islands. And yet, breastfeeding parents are often shamed for feeding their babies in public — and frequently, it’s because of our own misplaced shame surrounding breasts.

My Sister had her first “Ew, Breastfeeding!” moment in Public. It ended up being awesome. from r/TwoXChromosomes

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Serena Williams Says She Won’t Defend her Australian Open Title This Year

Posted on January 5, 2018

Serena Williams famously won the 2017 Australian Open while she was 9 weeks pregnant but on Thursday, the 23-tim Grand Slam champ said she won’t be defending her Australian Open title this year.

It has only been 5 months since she gave birth to her first child, daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. The newly wed to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian turned Snaphcat to share the news, stating in part:

“My coach and team always said ‘only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way’. I can compete – but I don’t want to just compete, I want to do far better than that and to do so, I will need a little more time. With that being said, and even though I am disappointed about it, I’ve decided not to compete in the Australian Open this year.

“The memory of last year’s Open is one that I will carry with me, and Olympia and I look forward to coming back again. I appreciate the support and understanding of my fans and everyone at the Australian Open.”

The tennis tournament begins on the 15th of this month.

The Australian Open tweeted best wishes shortly after her announcement, saying in part: “Good luck for the rest of 2018, Serena! We’ll miss you”

Unfortunately @serenawilliams has withdrawn from the #AusOpen.

“I can compete – but I don’t want to just compete, I want to do far better than that and to do so, I will need a little more time.”

Good luck for the rest of 2018, Serena! We’ll miss you ?

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 5, 2018

Williams had tried to push it by registering for a tournament last month but didn’t make it out the first round. She lost to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

“I don’t think I am going to rate my performance,” Williams said. “I have plenty of comebacks, from injuries, from surgeries, but I’ve never had a comeback after actually giving birth to a human being. So, in my eyes, I feel it was a wonderful, wonderful match for me.”

Williams struggled with her serve and Ostapenko won 6-2, 3-6 and then 10-5 in a super tiebreaker, but as US Open opined, she “still impressed to take a set off the No. 7-ranked Ostapenko after nearly a year away from tennis.”

She can do it and there is a track record for it!

The legendary Margaret Court won three majors after giving birth to her son in 1972. Kim Clijsters won three of her 4 Grand Slams after the birth of her child. Lindsay Davenport won 3 of her 55 Career titles after giving birth to her son. There are at least three other major female players to make mommy comebacks and silence all the critics and naysayers!

Too soon, ma, too soon!

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Serena Williams Gives Birth to a Baby Girl!

Posted on September 1, 2017

Congrats to Serena Williams and fiance Alexis Ohanian on the birth of their first child.

The tennis champ welcomed a baby girl at at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL, a source confirmed to Us Weekly on Friday.

It’s the first child for both Williams and Ohanian who is the co-founder of the social bulletin board site, Reddit.

The couple got engaged last December and Williams revealed her pregnancy via Snapchat, on accident, in April

Congrats to Serena and Alexis on their growing family!

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Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian Broke Down Presumptions to Find Love

Posted on July 11, 2017

One thing that has been illuminating and awesome about the relationship between international tennis champ Serena Williams and her fiance, tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian is how the two of them overcome false presumptions about one another to find love. They are expecting their first child together later this year.

In a revealing interview with Vanity Fair, Williams shares how Ohanian knew nothing about the tennis world but remained open to the idea of dating a woman who is a phenom in that sport.

Similarly, on the day they met, Williams spoke rudely to this geek with a laptop who insisted on sitting too close to her circle of pals who were chilling on a deck, and not expecting another guest to crowd their space.

“This big guy comes and he just plops down at the table next to us, and I’m like, ‘Huh! All these tables and he’s sitting here?,’ ” Serena recalled to the magazine, after explaining that they told Ohanian there was a rat near their table. “We were trying to get him to move and get out of there…He kind of refuses and he looks at us. And he’s like, ‘Is there really a rat here?’ ”

At which point Serena remembers the first words she ever said to him.

“No, we just don’t want you sitting there. We’re going to use that table.”

She too fake knowledge of the site he co-founded bulletin board site, Reddit, while remaining open to the possibilities.

“Alexis told her about Reddit,” author Buzz Bissinger wrote. “Serena knew nothing about it but acted as if she did, and said she had been on it earlier in the morning.”

An awkward first meeting turned into an invitation to see her play turned into more meetings and then a relationship, pregnancy and engagement. In that order. The path is not straight but neither is life. Read the entire story inside Vanity Fair here!

photos: Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

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Serena Williams Clarifies: Venus Williams’ Accidental Gender Reveal Wasn’t What We Think

Posted on June 2, 2017

chateau-eza-%e2%80%a2-instagram-photos-and-videos

Serena Williams was in PR fix mode recently after her sister Venus Williams appeared to have revealed the gender of her baby. While being interviewed following her first round French Open win, big sister Venus told a reporter that she hopes the baby will have her name.

“She’s going to call me ‘favorite aunt,'” Venus said during her post-match interview with Eurosport after winning the second round of the French Open on Wednesday.. “Every day we’re like, ‘Baby Vee, baby Isher, baby Lyn,’ so we all want the baby to be named after us.”

Not so fast, Serena relayed in an Instagram post essentially saying the pronoun “he” is not common in their household so that’s the reason Venus used that word. Hmmm….

“To clarify what Venus said, I am always joking with my sisters to see what favors I can get them [to] do for me next,” Serena Williams wrote in the “words” photo. “If I want something from one of my sisters, I say ‘Baby Venus, Baby Lyn, or Baby Isha needs it.’ I did not grow up with any brothers, only sisters and we all say ‘she’ more than ‘he.’ ”

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Jun 1, 2017 at 4:19am PDT

Serena has previously said she planned to wait until the birth to reveal the baby’s gender.

“I think the surprise of knowing what you are going to have on that very special day you give birth is probably the best surprise you can ever have,” she said.

Now we will know it is the truth if they have a boy! The Grand Slam champ accidentally announced on Snapchat this past Aprail that she and co-founder of Reddit Alexis Ohanian are expecting their first child.

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