Serena Williams Makes Bold Admission About the Hardest Aspect of Having Kids
In 2025, Serena Williams continues to redefine her legacy — not through Grand Slam titles, but through the rich, vibrant rhythm of life beyond the tennis court. As a devoted mother of two, from her kindergartener, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., to her toddler, Adira River Ohanian, Williams describes motherhood as chaotic, joyful, and meaningful. At the same time, she’s expanding her empire as a savvy investor and cultural architect. Recently, amid backlash over her promotion of the GLP-1 drug Zepbound, she opened up about motherhood. Here’s what she admitted about the difficult aspects of being a mom.
Serena Williams admitted that the ‘guilt’ is the hardest part about having kids
Serena Williams, 43, is embracing motherhood with the same passion and dedication that defined her legendary tennis career. She and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, are raising two daughters: Olympia, 7, and Adira, 1. Olympia has grown into a confident young girl with a keen interest in fashion and the arts, often seen accompanying her mother to events. Adira is already showing signs of her own vibrant personality, with Williams noting her curiosity and energy.
Despite stepping away from tennis, Williams finds profound joy in her role as a mother. And she spoke candidly about the experience on The Run-Through With Vogue podcast. The podcast hosts asked Williams about the most challenging aspect of motherhood.
“In the beginning, and still now, it’s the guilt,” Williams noted. “Especially at the beginning, you want to do so much with your baby, and then you realize that you can’t, because you still have to live your life and stuff. And that’s hard to accept. But, at the same time, it’s like, alright, well … you know, you’re doing your best. And there’s nothing wrong with doing your best. And your best can’t actually do everything.”
Williams went on to describe the guilt as “real.”
“The guilt of missing something — that’s hard to kind of put into words,” she continued. “But it’s something that’s not very easy. But it’s also normal. And I think just understanding that that’s normal is super helpful.”
Serena Williams opened up about using GLP-1s as part of her postpartum weight loss
Serena Williams has publicly shared her experience using GLP-1 medications, such as Zepbound, to aid in her postpartum weight loss journey. After the birth of her second child in 2023, she struggled to return to a weight that felt healthy for her body, despite maintaining a rigorous exercise routine and a healthy diet.
“For me, after having my first kid with Olympia, and in particular after having the second kid, I was never able to be at a healthy weight that I could be, whether it was my joints or blood sugar levels,” Williams told Today. “There was just always something that I suffered with. And a lot of women actually go through this. And I always said that I feel like — for me, personally — after I have my kids, after I got a tad bit older, my body was actually missing something, no matter what I did. I literally was playing professional tennis.”
The tennis pro shared the ‘best advice’ she received about transitioning from 1 child to 2
Serena Williams is now a seasoned veteran at professional tennis and motherhood. In 2024, she shared advice about transitioning from one child to two with Today.
“Someone gave me the best advice — ‘Spend more time with the oldest, ’cause they’ll remember,'” Williams said. “Isn’t that the best advice? But I do. Because the little one won’t remember. So whenever Olympia’s home, I’m with her. And then Adira, I’m just like, ‘OK ….’ I pretend like I don’t know her as much.”
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