Serena Williams won final Grand Slam while secretly pregnant at Australian Open

shinaAugust 10, 2024

0 3 5 minutes read

Serena Williams is one of the greatest tennis players ever to grace the game, but the American’s greatness was elevated a notch after winning the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant

Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant

Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant (Image: Getty Images)

News

Politics

Football

Celebs

Shopping

ByKieran KingSports Writer

15:03, 10 Jan 2024Updated15:05, 10 Jan 2024

Bookmark

Seven years ago, Serena Williams secured her final Grand Slam title after winning the Australian Open while pregnant.

The dominant American, who eased past the likes of Great Britain’s Johanna Konta and Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni during the tournament, beat her sister, Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the final at Rod Laver Arena.

It was a stunning win for Williams, who didn’t lose a set throughout the competition, as she moved above Steffi Graff and one behind all-time leader Margaret Court with her 23rd Grand Slam title.

Williams’ success was signified even further when it was reported that she romped to her seventh Australian Open title while pregnant. As per to Vanity Fair, five people knew about her pregnancy during the tournament, which included husband Alexis Ohanian, sister Venus, and the doctor who had examined her.

Emma Raducanu, Andy Murray and the British hopes Down Under at Australian Open

Emma Raducanu leaves fans worried after late withdrawal from charity match

Her coach, Patrick Jean Andre Mouratoglou, and tournament officials didn’t have any idea. Although Williams didn’t lose a set in Melbourne, she was forced to overcome a nervy start against sister Venus, before coming through to serve out the match and secure a famous victory.

A matter of months after the tournament, Williams posted on Instagram with a picture of the bump, followed by the caption: “My Dearest Baby, You gave me the strength I didn’t know I had. You taught me the true meaning of serenity and peace. I can’t wait to meet you.

Instagram

“I can’t wait for you to join the players box next year. But most importantly, I am so happy to share being number one in the world with you…. once again today. On @alexisohanian bday. from the world’s oldest number one to the world’s youngest number one. -Your Mommy.”

Later that year, Williams revealed how nervous she was after finding out she was pregnant just two days before the start of the tournament. “You hear all these stories about people when they’re pregnant — they get sick, they get really tired, really stressed out… I had to really take all that energy and put it in a paper bag, so to say, and throw it away,” Williams said during a TED Talk interview.

Serena Williams won her seventh Australian Open title in 2017

Serena Williams won her seventh Australian Open title in 2017 ( Image: Getty Images)

“I really felt that I didn’t have time to deal with any extra emotions, any extra anything, because, pregnant or not, no one knew, and I was supposed to win that tournament as I am every tournament that I show up [for]. If I don’t win, it’s actually much bigger news.”

After over a year out, Williams returned to Grand Slam tennis at the French Open in 2018. She suffered a fourth-round exit in that competition and did not won another major title before retiring in September 2022.

Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Watch the Premier League, Champions League and more

Watch the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and much more

£29.99 a month and get access to discovery+ Premium at no extra cost

TNT Sports gives you access to games across the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Serie A and many more. You can also watch the biggest clashes in boxing, UFC, WWE and the get exclusive action from MLB all for one payment every month. You can watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.

TNT Sports

Get it here

shina

Related Articles

Iga Świątek zabrała głos po porażce. “Czasami czułam się bezradnie”

Yue Yuan – Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3. Sportiva noastră a fost eliminată în primul tur de la Hong Kong

Wyróżnienie dla Szeremety. Dostąpi wielkiego zaszczytu

“Bag secured”- Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian reacts as Brittany Brown wins $85,000 after success at Athlos NYC

Leave a Reply Cancel reply