Serena Williams is an icon. Not only is she the GOAT in the tennis world (with 23 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals to boot!), but she’s also a force to be reckoned with in the business world. She launched the venture capital fund Serena Ventures in 2017, and she launched her first independent fashion collection a year later. And she’s just beautiful, whether she’s dazzling at the Met Gala with husband Alexis Ohanian or twinning at home with their 5-year-old daughter Olympia. But one thing even she struggles with? Feeling confident while pregnant — and it’s so damn relatable.
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In a vulnerable new Instagram post today, Williams revealed that even she has a hard time feeling like the self-confident queen she is while pregnant with baby number 2.
“Being confident is not always easy. Not even for me!” Williams wrote. “Especially taking pics and being pregnant!”
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A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)
She is incredibly brave for admitting that — my self-esteem also plummeted during pregnancy, and it was always something I was too afraid to talk about. Everyone says you’re glowing and beautiful, and I just felt trapped in my own body with extra weight and pain and side effects that made me struggle to feel like myself — not to mention a confident, beautiful version of myself. The fact that Williams is so openly admitting it’s hard for her too is like a breath of fresh air. We are not alone in these feelings! And there is so much beauty in that.
Williams added that other people’s opinions can get in the way of feeling like your best self. “Sometimes people close to you will try to take your joy — but it’s important to remember who you are and never be afraid to shine. #wordsofwisdom,” Wililams wrote. Damn right! Look at her dropping those inspirational truths on a Friday morning — it’s exactly what we needed to hear today.
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Serena Williams Shows Off Her Bare Baby Bump
Image Credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Moncler ICYMI, Williams looks beautiful in her Instagram post. She’s wearing a form-fitting white skirt with heels (!!) and a cropped floral blouse that drapes over her arms. You can see her bare baby bump, which is just starting to grow. The fashionista wears her long hair down and curly as she poses in her gorgeous pink bathroom.
She doesn’t need us to tell her, but she is stunning! The fact that she still struggles with her confidence is something all moms, pregnant or not, can definitely relate to.
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People Supported Serena Williams in the Comments
Image Credit: Taylor Hill/Getty Images “You are a GODDESS….those people suck,” one person wrote. “You’re running laps around them, doing it gracefully, and are creating an entire human!???”
Another wrote, “And you’re still finer than most of them while you’re pregnant. You look beautiful!”
“That is ok, you have been blessed with a beautiful gift (a second child),” someone else said. “PS….No one can EVER take your shine you are an amazing legend who will inspire girls for a lifetime. ???Not to mention your own children. Much love!”
“Beautiful Black Queen Serena! Motherhood looks good on you! ?,” someone else said. All the support is going to make us cry!
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Serena Williams Advocates for Black Maternal Health
Image Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Last month, Williams shared a throwback photo of when Olympia was born for Black Maternal Health Week. She wrote, “I shared my birth story and I was stunned by the outpouring of support and similar experiences women have had.”
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are over three times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes,” Williams continued. “But this is not just a challenge in the United States. Around the world, thousands of women struggle to give birth in the poorest countries. Every mother, everywhere, regardless of race or background deserves to have a healthy pregnancy and birth.”
When Olympia arrived after an emergency C-section, Williams had many health complications, including a pulmonary embolism. She had to advocate for herself to be taken seriously, and she continues to advocate for Black women.
Whether she’s struggling to feel confident or she’s fighting for Black mothers to be heard in the delivery room, Williams is an inspiration to all.
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