During a sit-down interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, historic tennis figure Serena Williams opened up about how her life is going after her final match.
In August of this year, the 23-time Grand Slam champion announced in an essay published to Vogue that she would be “evolving away from tennis” and focusing on other aspects of her life. “I have to move on from playing tennis,” she wrote. “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. I hate it.”
She added the sentiments, “I hate that I have to be at this crossroads. I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it’s not. I’m torn: I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time, I’m ready for what’s next.”
So, what exactly is next for Williams? Right now, it seems slick she is enjoying her daughter and husband on their south Florida property. “I’m so happy I don’t have to train for two hours a day,” she admitted to King. With this being said, she also expressed difficulty having so much free time. Williams explained, “It’s so hard for me to relax. I don’t know how to relax. I have to schedule it in my schedule.”
Despite her firm commitment to a new lifestyle, the historic athlete shared that her dad still has hope that she will return to the court. “My dad is like, ‘Serena, you should play, like, two more Grand Slams,’ and I’m like, ‘Dad, stop,'” said Williams.
Serena Williams opens up about spending more time with her daughter
Although she has previously stated that using the word “retirement” seems like the wrong description for her relationship with tennis, she confirmed in the interview, “it’s time for me to give my life to something else.” And as of now, her primary focus is dedicating time to raising her daughter Olympia.
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In December, Williams appeared on the PEOPLE Everyday Podcast and discussed how her relationship with her daughter is changing. According to the mother, Olympia is happy to be spending more time with her mom.
“She wants to make sure that I’m aware that I should have time on my hands and I need to spend more time with her,” the 41-year-old relayed. Additionally, she relayed that she and her husband are focusing on expanding their family, as Olympia hopes to be a big sister one day.
