Serena Williams opens on mom guilt

23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has accomplished a lot on the court and these days she is doing her best to be the best possible mother she can be.Ā 

Williams, who hasn’t played since Wimbledon due to a hamstring injury, became a mother for the first time in 2017 when she and her husband Alexis Ohanian welcomed Olympia.Ā 

ā€œMom guilt is real. I always feel so guilty when I’m doing something on my own,ā€ Williams exclusively told Insider. ā€œI don’t know if I’m a good mom, and I don’t know if my method works, but I’m very hands-on with my daughter, and it was the same with our parents. So I’ve set really good boundaries, but then after work, I’m going right to my daughter. And that’s amazing and good, but now it’s like, ā€˜Okay, what happens to Serena?’ā€

Williams recently recalled winning Auckland

In January 2020, Williams lifted her first title since becoming a mother.Ā 

Even though Williams has far bigger titles in her collection, the Auckland one will always stand out.Ā 

“Youā€™ve seen me hold trophy after trophy in my career. This one was extra special because it was the first time I got to show my daughter that her mom is a champion,” Williams wrote on Instagram as a message to her daughter Olympia.

Recently, Williams explained how her priorities have changed since becoming a mother.

“Since Iā€™ve had my baby, the stakes of the game have shifted for me,” wrote Williams in an essay for Elle magazine. “I have 23 Grand Slams to my name, more than any other active player. But winning is now a desire and no longer a need.

“I have a beautiful daughter at home; I still want the titles, the success, and the esteem, but itā€™s not my reason for waking up in the morning. There is more to teach her about this game than winning.”