Serena Williams says her daughter Olympia rather than tennis success is her 'reason for waking up in the morning'

Serena Williams says that tennis is no longer her top priority in life as she focuses on bringing up her young daughter Olympia. Williams is just one major title shy of Margaret Court's record of 24, and though the 40-year-old American implied she still wants to continue playing in pursuit of success, it now appears of secondary importance to her. Ad/> As part of a personal essay for Elle, Williams also detailed how she had to fight to save her own life after complications during Olympia's birth in September 2017.

WTA MiamiThe rise and rise of Swiatek — and why this is just the start28/03/2022 AT 05:43 She wrote: «Since I’ve had my baby, the stakes of the game have shifted for me. »I have 23 Grand Slams to my name, more than any other active player. But winning is now a desire and no longer a need.

«I have a beautiful daughter at home; I still want the titles, the success, and the esteem, but it’s not my reason for waking up in the morning. There is more to teach her about this game than winning. Raducanu better for promoting tennis than Kyrgios — Huber Is Swiatek v Osaka the next big rivalry in tennis? Alcaraz 'X-factor' could see him define how tennis is played — Woodbridge »I’ve learned to dust myself off after defeat, to stand up for what matters at any cost, to call out for what’s fair — even when it makes me unpopular.

«Giving birth to my baby, it turned out, was a test for how loud and how often I would have to call out before I was finally heard.» Williams went on to detail how «being heard» involved her insisting to medical staff that she needed a CAT scan while feeling like she «was dying» following Olympia's birth. That procedure ultimately detected a blood clot in her lungs and saved her life. The recovery