According to the experience of legendary tennis player Serena Williams, the apple can in fact fall far from the tree.
The 40-year-old mother recently sat down on “A Conversation with Champions” panel ahead of the U.S. Open at the Lotte New York Palace hotel in New York City and discussed her 4 ½-year-old daughter, Olympia. The athlete admitted that the two share many interests, except they lack one major similarity: a love for tennis.
“She’s my little buddy,” Williams explained to forum hosts Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer of the Today show. “We do everything together. We go on dates and it’s so cool because she likes everything I do except for tennis.”
However, just because they don’t share the same talents on the court, Williams was quick to explain that she has no problem with this. Like the good mother she is, she doesn’t force her daughter to do anything she doesn’t want to. Additionally, raising Olympia has been so rewarding that she doesn’t mind.
Continuing her interview, the tennis star explained, “She’s really fun. I see a lot of my personality in her and it’s just a great time to have her around now to see what I do on a daily.”
Although it may come as a surprise that the descendant of a tennis legend doesn’t like tennis, this isn’t the first time Serena has discussed her daughter’s lack of enthusiasm for the support. Last September, she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and told the talk show host that Olympia much prefers piano to tennis.
“She likes tennis, but I don’t know. Honestly, she likes playing piano,” Williams relayed. “When she was in my belly, I played a lot of piano music.”
Serena Williams’ career is coming to a close to prioritize family
Earlier this month, the 40-year-old superstar published an essay to Vogue in which she announced she would be transitioning away from professional tennis to focus on family and potentially have another child. “I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family,” Williams wrote. “I’ve been reluctant to admit that I have to move on from playing tennis.”
“There is no happiness in this topic for me. I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine,” she continued, admitting her despair. Despite her sorrow, the opportunity to become more family-orientated excited her, so she chooses to see this retirement as an evolution. Williams noted, “Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution.”
