Serena Williams is back on the tennis court following a brief break after giving birth to her beautifuldaughter Alexis Olympia last year. All eyes have been on Wimbledon as she's tirelessly prepared for (and absolutely nailed) her celebrated return to the London tournament this year and following her third-round win on Friday, the hard work has definitely paid off. The sad downside to her trail of tennis triumphs, however, has been missing time with her little girl.
Over the weekend, the 23-time Grand Slam champion and new mum tweeted that she had missed one of those milestone moment in 10-month-old Alexis' growth. 'She took her first steps... I was training and missed it. I cried', Serena said.
We've all witnessed how emotively the internet responds to Serena vulnerably serving social media realness (her Reddit request for pregnancy tips still ranks pretty highly), so it's no surprise that Twitters' heart broke with Serena too.
The words of support game flooding in, of course, with thousands of mothers and fans rallying to her side with messages of reassurance to a circumstance shared by many working mothers. A-list mum Chrissy Teigen sweetly tweeted to tell Serena: 'she is practicing so you can see the real ones.'
A similar sentiment was made across the majority of responses to Serena's tweet. Many commented just to acknowledge how beautiful the replies to Serena's heartache were, while authorFeminista Jones even tweeted a hypothetical scenario to blow any feelings of guilt Serena might've been feeling straight out of the water. 'Reporter: "So where was your mom when you took your first steps?" Olympia at 21, after winning her 5th Grand Slam: "She was winning Wimbledon, like... cmon!"', she wrote. 'We don't catch everything sis, but we love them still even though they try to grow up without us'
Serena's speedy return to tennis meant so much to so many, and she's in no way blind to that fact. Speaking during the French Open where she wore the 'Wakanda-inspired' catsuit, she explained: 'I definitely feel like it is an opportunity for me to inspire a whole different group of amazing women and kids'.
Between her 24/7 inspirational attitude to the sport and her dedication to her daughter, motherhood, feminism andequal pay, for example, there's no doubt in anyone's mind that she's managed to do that.
MORE: Inspiring Word Of Wisdom From Serena Williams
Serena Williams - Grazia
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'Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.'
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'People want more fit arms, but my arms are too fit. But I'm not complaining. They pay my bills.'
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'Everyone's dream can come true if you just stick to it and work hard.'
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'I'm not used to crying. It's a little difficult. All my life I've had to fight. It's just another fight I'm going to have to learn how to win, that's all. I'm just going to have to keep smiling.'
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'Tennis just a game, family is forever.'
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'I don't have regrets. I don't live in the past. I live in the present and learn not to make the same mistakes in the future.'
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'Venus told me the other day that champions don't get nervous in tight situations. That really helped me a lot. I decided I shouldn't get nervous and just do the best I can.'
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'I’m really exciting. I smile a lot, I win a lot, and I’m really sexy.'
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'I’ve had people look past me because the colour of my skin, I’ve had people overlook me because I was a woman, I’ve had critics say I [would] never win another Grand Slam when I was only at number seven - and here I stand today with 21 Grand Slam titles, and I’m still going...'
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'I've always considered myself the best and the top. I never considered that I was out of it.'
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