Serena Williams turned 38 years old in September. She’s already confirmed to play the Australian Open in January, and there will be massive expectations on her yet again. I hate that. I hate that we can’t just let Serena exist and live and play because she wants to play. The expectations are because people want her to “break” Margaret Court’s Slam count – Court has 24 Slam titles in singles, IF we’re counting pre-Open Era titles and IF we’re pretending like Court didn’t win the Australian Open a million times when it was barely competitive. Everybody wants Serena to get to 24, and then get to 25. The question I’ve always had is this: is Serena still playing because she loves it, or because she doesn’t want there to be any debate, any asterisk, any question about her GOAT status? She’s already the GOAT, in my opinion. Debate over.
Part of the urgency with all of these conversations is about Serena’s age AND whether she’s still capable of playing well enough over two weeks AND being able to close in a final. She hasn’t won a title at any level since coming back to the tour after giving birth to her beautiful daughter Olympia. Not to mention, does Serena want another kid? Olympia also celebrated a birthday in September – she turned 2 years old. When Serena was opening her pop-up shop in Miami this week, she spoke to Page Six about babies and a sibling for Olympia:
Tennis champ Serena Williams is worried she’s waited too long to have her next child. Williams, who has daughter Alexis Olympia with her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, told us, “I’m, like, ‘Oh my God, I wanted her to have a sibling and it’s getting farther and farther away.’ She’s 2 and I always wanted [them to be closer in age] because I am so close to my sister [Venus]. We are 15 months apart and I’m like, ‘That ship has sailed.’ We’ll see, I obviously want more.”
Williams, 38, is in Miami showing off her S by Serena fashion line at Faena Bazaar, telling us that this year’s collection, which is full of sequins, animal print and velvet, is “a celebration for women who want to be seen and heard and to make an impact and make a statement.”
Williams, who has called out sexism in tennis and been vocal about a number of issues, says outspoken women inspire her. “I’m inspired by women who aren’t afraid of consequences for speaking out for something positive,” she told us. “It’s not always easy. It’s really inspiring and sometimes scary to stand up for what’s right and it’s not always the most popular thing to do… Years later or months later or even weeks later, it becomes a bigger statement than what it is sometimes at the moment. Or other people are influenced and want to speak out too.”
First of all, I doubt her body would have “let” her give birth to another kid so quickly after she almost died with postpartum complications in 2017. It was always going to take some time for Serena’s body to heal and for her to figure out her next steps. She put pressure on herself to return to the tour too quickly, and from there… I think she decided that she was putting off Baby #2 until she won a couple of Slams. It’s taken longer than she thought. But yeah, I would love for Serena to have another kid, because she and Alexis are completely and utterly devoted to Olympia, and they seem like the kind of people who SHOULD have a bunch of kids. But… I don’t know, is it too late?
Wouldn’t it be a trip if Serena won another Australian Open title while she was pregnant?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instagram.
my sister and I are four years apart and are extremely close, so she still got some time in my opinion. being close in age does automatically mean that siblings are going to be close.
I know she’s the goat, but since she came back after being pregnant something seems off. I don’t know if I really think that it’s her age or anything, but simply that she has other focuses in her life outside of tennis, which I think is healthy! I also think she’s put too much pressure on herself to prove that she could come back and play at the same level after pregnancy and with her age.
My sisters and I are 4 and 9 years apart. I’m the oldest but I’m very close to both of them. I’m 39 and had my one and only child 3 years ago at 35. Its been much harder than I anticipated and I always thought I’d have 2 or 3 but I’m frankly not ready mentally yet to do the sleepless newborn nights and all the other mind numbing exhausting things that come with babies. I probably won’t be ready until my daughter is in school in another 2 years and I’ll be 41 and for me that might be too old. I’ve made peace with it but it does make me a little sad.
I’m about to turn 38 and I dont have kids but always wanted them. I fear my time has passed and it might not be possible anymore. As a single woman I’m not sure how difficult it is to adopt but maybe that can be an option?
I had my third son at 40. So 38 is not too late 🙂 Adoption is also a great way to add to your family. I have friends who have adopted later in life and they don’t regret it at all. It takes years for adoption so start as soon as you know you want it.
I started dating my husband at 39, married at 40 (we knew each other before we started dating), had first kid at 41 and second at 43. But single adoption is also a wonderful option for you.
I adopted at 40 and I don’t want to overstate this but…..IT IS THE FREAKIN BEST!
For me, I was old enough to not have the insecurities that I had in my 20’s and I got drink at the baby shower! I’m also more settled in my career and I was able to bring him to work with me a lot before he went to daycare. And he is the absolute love of my life. There are things that are harder – lugging a kid up the steps at 40 is waaaay different than doing it at 20. But overall, I love it more than I can tell you.
Get on some lists right now, and brace yourself for the bureaucratic bs.
I had my first at 39, second at 47. Just the way it worked out. Both healthy and wonderful.
Thanks so much guys, I really appreciate all your comments. You have given me hope 🙂
Had my first at 36 and 2nd at 40. It’s very possible but not necessarily easy . Trying to conceive in late 30s, early 40s becomes a bit of a job dictated by ovulation schedules, even without fertility assistance. If you want a baby, go for it. Just go in with all the what ifs. Had a friend get pregnant With a healthy boy at 46, not even trying, thought that stage of life over since she had a 10yo.
oh gosh, this comment is supposed to say it does NOT automatically mean they’ll be closer. 🤦♀️
My kids are 3 years apart and it’s lovely. They love each other.
Besides, when you are an ordinary person with little to no help, a small gap between children is really hard to manage.
The famous two under two. A nightmare, really!
My sister is 3 years older and we were never close
With Serena”s history of clotting, I would be surprised if her doctors haven’t recommended that she avoid more pregnancies. My mom almost died from a pulmonary embolism two weeks after I was born, and the doctors were very clear about not getting pregnant again.
That was back in mediaeval times, but it’s still a very dangerous risk. When I was pregnant, my normally laid back OB/GYN went into semi-hysterics when I told her that I even had a family history of clotting. Sent me for genetic testing and to a specialist immediately.
There’s a 10 year gap between me and my sister and we’re extremely close. But my son and daughter are 2 years apart aren’t that close, so you never know.
You’re lucky. My sister and I are 9 years apart and we cannot stand each other. 🤷🏽♀️
A surrogate seems like a logical choice based on her prior complications and age and occupation.
Agree! Their daughter is so precious I can imagine why they want more. Aside from any tennis reasons, pregnancies seem so dangerous for her health that I hope she doesn’t risk it.
Yes totally! It would let her continue her career, not repeat a pregnancy that nearly cost her her life, and still have more beautiful babies.
If I recall correctly, Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe in surrogacy so I doubt that’s an option for her.
Ugh, I dislike religions passing judgement on medical care
Serena is amazing but I don’t think you have to diminish Margaret Court’s accomplishments while celebrating Serena’s. The competition was different but so was the equipment, the pay structure, she wasn’t traveling in private jets with a full team of people behind her, custom designed kits, that help current players play much longer, etc.
I’m not sure anybody is necessarily diminishing Margaret Court’s accomplishments, it’s just that Serena is clearly in a different league. It is practically a different sport now in comparison to back then and Serena is literally the greatest female tennis player of all time. Maybe even greatest full stop.
It’s a fact that there wasn’t real competition at the Australian Open back in the day. Also, Margaret Court is a nasty, racist homophobe who supported apartheid, sooooooo.
she might be all sorts of things, but her accomplishments are huge and nobody should try to rob her of her accomplishments. she deserves the praise. she was a great player. she won everything. and I mean…eeeeeverything. and about competition…I think competition in women’s tennis is pretty weak almost all the time. I don’t know why, but that’s how it is.
Compare that to men’s tennis and Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
OMG. Yes! Ages closer over years. My oldest is seven years older than the middle. And the middle is eight years older than the youngest. I thought I was done after each kid. And each pregnancy happened while on birth control. They’re smart, great boys but I’ve been doing this for too damn long. Mommies need their kids’ stages to occur closer than several years lol. I lost my damn mind a long time ago.
I am done after having my son at 37. I developed pulmonary edema after his birth, required oxygen and worked up for blood clot and postpartum cardiomyopathy. Thankfully so far tests are negative, but I’m on blood pressure meds. Previously healthy prior to my delivery.
Other people have babies in their 40s and are fine 🤷 It just would be foolish for me to do so.
I hate how stressful these decisions have to be for women.
My kiddos are 10 years and 19 months, so there’s a biiiig age gap. (Two marriages for me). I had my second at 41, very fortunately no help needed and got pregnant as soon as we started trying.
My kids love each other so much–it makes my heart melt daily. My older one is devoted to his baby brother and so nurturing and sweet. The toddler things big bigger walks on water and follows him everywhere.
A fun thing for me to see is that my husband actually has a much younger half brother who lives in the same town we do (no other family nearby). The two of them are best friends and love each other, so seeing that relationship they have as adults has been really lovely.
I hope Serena can figure out how to make peace with the things she wants. Being a woman is just freaking hard: how do you balance career and ambition with the very real biological limits there?
Yea I love that she talks frankly about this. It is so relatable- most women have to balance reproductive decisions with career decisions and health and age and other stuff. She doesn’t have financial concerns, but the other stuff is pretty universal. I want her to be at peace with whatever happens- the GOAT deserves that.
My first and second are 4 years apart, we wanted 3 yrs gap but road to second was long and bumpy. Now we are having this decision about number 3- to have or not and when? I’m 35 so there is some time but I don’t think another 4 years is wise(especially bc I had miscarriages before #2). But I think my body (and marriage) would suffer with 2 under 2. Anyway, it’s hard. And it is oddly comforting to hear that it is hard for the GOAT also.
I’m also at a crossroads about having baby #3. My husband is letting me decide because he’s fine either way, though I think if he made the decision on his own he’d decide to stop at two. We have two beautiful girls 22 months apart (3 yrs and 16 months) and my husband and I are 36. I’m mostly nervous about having a third at my age but there’s also money and just basically having a newborn with two toddlers. Yikes. I feel like I need to decide soon but it’s not easy!
With the medical advancements and even without them hearing stars like Rachel weisz giving birth in her mid 40s, why are women still pressuring themselves or saying they missed “the deadline”?!!!! THERE IS NO DEADLINES! the risks of late pregnancies are even less because of advancements in health care+option of surrogacy
BUT maybe she has personal deadlines, like wanting kids close together or wanting to be done before 40. Or maybe she doesn’t want to use IVF etc. It’s OK to have personal limits on reproductive choices just because science allows for more options. Hopefully when she’s ready it will happen for her but there are no guarantees about creating life.
I think clotting makes a much higher risk if she were to take hormones if she wanted or needed them to help her get pregnant. A friend of mine had a stillborn baby boy due to clotting, which also prevented her to even think of other fertility treatments.
She really needs to think which priority to go for.Such a successful woman.
She is 38. Not 48. If she wants to have another child in all likelihood she can and if she has trouble conceiving she has the means to help with that. I have to say it’s obnoxious to have deadlines placed on a woman’s uterus. Even women in their 20’s have problems conceiving. Fertility is not a guarantee for ANYONE regardless of age.
(reply to Miriam) There may be a “deadline” if she wants to use her own eggs (and hasn’t already frozen them or started ivf). After a certain age, egg quality may be low enough that you need to use an egg donor. She probably has time now but it may not be an option in her 40s.
It’s sad how many ppl on here think 38 or 40 etc are too late to have a kid. It’s almost 2020, not 1960. Alanis Morissette is pregnant & 45. My mom had me at 40. There’s TONS of women who don’t have their babies under 40.
there’s a creepy tinge of sexism to this ‘warning’ of ‘biological deadlines’ from some women to others. Ladies – Don’t listen to those women who are stuck in the world where it’s have a baby in your 30s or NEVER. It’s like a bizarre form of pregnancy policing by women to other women. Makes me dismayed. Reminds me of mommybloggers & their parenting wars & all that BS
Who said that here? Literally no one. Some people spoke of her personal health or “deadlines” she imposed on herself for her happiness or career.
Lucky them. It was too late for me after we started trying at 34. No bio kids for me, some artificial fertilizations, loads of clomid, progesterona, etc, 2 rounds of ivf (too expensive, my medical dis not cover it after 34). We gave up at 41. We adopted 6 years later.
Quite a few of my friends could not
Have children either, some miscarried them, others lime me, took too long to start. When it’s your first at a later age is more difficult, after a child, is easier for the body.
But..statistically, your chances of conceiving do decrease dramatically as you enter your late 30s and 40s. That’s what every maternal health study says. Copious evidence.
Which is not to say that women can’t, or shouldn’t conceive or try to conceive later in life. I’m past 35, and I would LOVE if God blessed me with a pregnancy. Women have options. Those options change as they get older. I know many women who have had successful pregnancies post-35, and even post-40. I also know women who conceived easily in their 20s, and never again in their 30s, and were not on birth control.
I understand her worries about waiting to have kids, but an age gap is sometimes a good thing! My sister and I are 18 months apart and growing up we were *too* close. Too competitive, too jealous, too argumentative, too attention seeking, too similar, and too different. Our relationship improved after we left home and started leading separate lives. Ironically,we made extremely similar life choices when were away from each other. We get along great now, and it’s so nice to actually like and enjoy each other instead of just loving/tolerating each other for the sake of family.
That toddler is so cute and I want to nom-nom on those precious cheeks. Just beautiful. I hope Serena gets the chance to add another baby since she clearly wants one. Having an only can be pretty cool too, though.
As someone who had to use fertility treatments, at 30-32 no less, it is ridiculous to tell women they have all the time in the world. There are options for pregnancy into your 40s, but there is a decline in egg quality and increase in genetic issues with age of either parent. So yes, while some women have healthy pregnancies into their 40s, the chance of miscarriage and other health risks all increase. However, it is silly to ignore simple biology and secondary infertility is a thing – especially after her postpartum complications making any future pregnancies high risk.