Serena Williams recently reiterated that her decision to retire came because she wanted to “have a family,” describing it as a tough choice for her. The former World No. 1 announced her retirement from tennis in August 2022, playing her final match at the US Open.
Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in 2017, two years after they first met. The couple welcomed their first daughter Olympia in 2017, and their second daughter Adira in 2023.
In a recent interview with Bazaar, Williams discussed her upcoming docuseries “In the Arena: Serena Williams.” During the interview, the 42-year-old revealed that she retired from tennis not because of fitness issues but because she wanted to have a family.
“I love watching it. I love playing it. I love being a part of it. I’m still really good at it. [Laughs.] I always say the reason I stopped was not because of injury. It was because I wanted to have a family,” Williams said.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion further said it was difficult for her to call it a day on her tennis career despite being capable of performing at a high level. Williams also said that she missed the sport more than an average person.
“And that was a very hard decision to have to make when you know you can still play and perform at a very high level, and then have to say no [to that part of yourself], because you want to have a future and leave a mark. I think if I didn’t have that, maybe I wouldn’t miss it as much, but because of the way I had to depart, maybe I do miss a little bit more than the average person,” she added.
Williams turned professional in 1995 and won her first Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open. The 42-year-old ultimately secured 39 Major titles: 23 in singles, 14 in women’s doubles (with her sister Venus), and 2 in mixed doubles. Additionally, she became the only woman to achieve a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.
Williams’ last tournament was the 2022 US Open, where she reached the third round before losing to Ajla Tomljanovic.
Serena Williams on educating her daughters about her impact on sports and beyond
Edited by Neelabhra Roy