Serena Williams ‘paved the way’ for mothers to keep playing tennis, says Martina Navratilova
Serena Williams ‘paved the way’ for mothers to stay active and play tennis, says Martina Navratilova
London, July 18: Serena Williams, the world’s number one player and one of the greatest athletes of all time, is a major inspiration for the growing number of women who are choosing to stay active during their pregnancies.
“Serena Williams paved the way for women to start playing tennis again after maternity. She made a huge difference and the first one she called was actually her mother. When she told her, it was like the floodgates opened,” the former professional tennis player and coach Martina Navratilova said here.
“When I started to play with my daughters, I was in her shoes. And I had no one to ask other than her, ‘How’s the baby?’ I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I don’t know. How’s the baby?’
“She called her mother, who is still my very good friend, and that’s how we all started playing tennis together. She told me, so I’m like, ‘Wow, how did you get here?’ I never had this before. And she told me, ‘What can I offer you?’ That day, I saw the most amazing thing. I saw how the entire world is coming to know her, how they are seeing her at her best, when she’s at her best.
“If you ask Serena, ‘Do I play tennis or do I go to the beach?’ She will tell you that she would rather come here, where she can see her child as she’s growing up. She’s not here just to see his or her best physical, but she comes here to see him as a person and how he is growing.”
On her 40th birthday, Navratilova was presented with a gift