“My baby’s going to be in the stands, hopefully cheering for me.” @serenawilliams with @GayleKing #TED2017 pic.twitter.com/WrN6Ymz9CF
— TED Talks (@TEDTalks) April 26, 2017
I’ve been wondering who was going to be the first person to sit down and chat with Serena Williams ever since she revealed her pregnancy.
And it turns out, that person was Gayle King. At the TED Talks conference the two sat down to chat about a number of things and of course, the baby she’s carrying and the way we learned about said baby was at the top of the list.
“It was an accident.” Serena said. “I was on vacation just taking some time for myself and I have this thing where I’ve been checking my status and taking pictures every week to see how far along I’m going.”
Williams deleted the picture shortly after but not before people had a chance to capture it with a screenshot.
“I didn’t tell a lot of people, to be quite honest, and I’d been saving it. On social media, you press the wrong button and [it’s done]. Thirty minutes later I missed four calls and I’m like, ‘That’s weird.'”
Williams did say that the timing of this accident was pretty fortuitous though as she and her fiance, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian were planning to reveal the news in the following 5-6 days.
Since Williams revealed how far along she was in her pregnancy, people were able to count back and determine that she was carrying her child when she won the Australian Open. She said she had just learned she was expecting a couple of days prior and playing while carrying another life made her nervous.
“I wasn’t quite sure what to think, but I knew that at that moment, it was really important for me to just focus,” she told King. “Pregnant or not, no one knew and I was supposed to win that tournament. Every time I play, I’m expected to win. If I don’t win, it’s actually much bigger news.”
As far as her future in the sport, Serena said she’s not finished.
“I definitely plan on coming back. I’m not done yet,” Williams said. “This [motherhood] is just a new part of my life. My baby’s going to be in the stands and hopefully cheering for me.”
After this child’s mother made him/her a champion, he or she should totally root for mommy.
This story is just too precious and too incredible.
Congratulations again to Serena and Alexis!
Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of “Bettah Days.” You can follow her on Facebook and on Instagram and Twitter @VDubShrug.
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