Serena Williams will compete again five months after giving birth
By admin - 2019-02-23 01:16:39

Serena Williams’ return to competitive tennis is just around the corner. Her highly anticipated return, according to the U.S. Tennis Association, will take place February 10 and 11 at the Fed Cup in Asheville, N.C. Joining Williams for the U.S. Fed Cup team against the Netherlands are her sister, Venus Williams, CoCo Vandeweghe, and team captain Kathy Rinaldi.

This will be Williams’ first tournament since the Australian Open last January, which she won– while two months pregnant. But after losing a match in Abu Dahbi in December, the most decorated tennis player in the world dropped out of this year’s Australian Open.

“After performing in my first match after giving birth I realized that although I am super close I’m not where I personally want to be,” Williams wrote in a statement posted to her Snapchat . “My coach and team always said ‘Only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way.’ With that being said I am disappointed to say I’ve decided not to compete in the Australian Open this year.”

After giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., the first time mom revealed that she went back to the hospital for health complications caused from blood clots in her lungs. She was bedridden for six weeks. But despite the obstacles of her health scares, Williams told Vogue being a mother has made her better.

“When I’m too anxious I lose matches, and I feel like a lot of that anxiety disappeared when Olympia was born,” she told the magazine. “Knowing I’ve got this beautiful baby to go home to makes me feel like I don’t have to play another match. I don’t need the money or the titles or the prestige. I want them, but I don’t need them. That’s a different feeling for me.”

Williams told the magazine she’s still set on winning 25 Grand Slam titles and hopefully setting a new record as well.