It has been more than 16 months since Serena Williams has played tennis, and she still got the win at the French Open on Tuesday. Her daughter was born just nine months prior to this victory. Williams defeated Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Roland Garros.
This match pushed her majors victory count up to 23 wins, which is very impressive for a 36-year-old new mom, or any athlete for that matter. She returned to the court married and a new mother, both which she was not when she last played in a Grand Slam Tournament.
Williams stepped on the court in a new black bodysuit with a touch of red in the belt. The star tennis player said that the ensemble made her feel like a “warrior princess.”
“It feels like this suit represents all the women that have been through a lot mentally, physically with their body to come back and have confidence and to believe in themselves,” she told reporters.
She also commented on how the suit was made of compression fabric. This was strategically chosen by Williams as she struggled with postpartum blood clots last year that threatened her health. The compression material promotes blood circulation, making it “a fun suit, but it’s also functional,” she said.
Participation in tennis grew more than 1%, and is now at 17.9 million players, according to the latest research by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA). It’s no wonder more and more people are joining the sport when there are such inspirational players like Williams.
While this star athlete is excited to get back in the game after months off, she admits that the game will never be the same again. This, of course, if because of her new daughter.
“Well, my priority is Olympia. No matter what, that’s my priority. I have given tennis so much, and tennis has actually given me a lot, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” Williams said. “She’s my priority, and I work everything around her.”
Williams also notes that she will have to figure out a new routine that will work for her while she’s in Grand Slams now that she has an amazing bundle of joy.
“So that is the biggest difference. I’m concerned how that’s going to work out for me, because normally in Grand Slams, I do spend a lot of time at the site. She’s so young, I don’t really bring her. So, yeah, this is definitely going to be interesting.”
Great article. Very inspiring.