Balancing kids, on and off the court
Players surpass challenges of having children in the world of professional tennis
Serena Williams’ surprise pregnancy announcement was hailed with the kind of pomp and ceremony awarded to only the A-list-iest celebrities (naked magazine cover included). The 23-time Grand Slam-winning legend is hardly taking a break as she awaits her first child with Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian. Williams is still training in her final trimester and has already declared January 2018’s Australian Open her comeback match.
The 35-year-old is just one example of the superhuman expectations professional athletes can be held to when they start a family. Female tennis players often play into their second trimesters, while some new dads are back on the court just days after their children are born. Here’s a glance at what happens when tennis’s top players become parents. Serena Williams Pregnancy tests are not typically known for their humour: The tennis legend first found out she was pregnant when she took a pregnancy test as a “joke” because she was feeling off.
She checked the results an hour and a half later, and was shocked to find they were positive. Vanity Fair reported that she told Ohanian, her now-fiancé, by handing him a paper bag filled with six positive pregnancy tests. And then she Snapped: Williams, who, Vanity Fair reported, knew nothing about Reddit until she met Ohanian, revealed her pregnancy while snapping a selfie of her minibump in the mirror. She accidentally told the world when she posted it to Snapchat. Never stop swinging: Williams posted video on Instagram of herself lobbing balls over the net well into her third trimester. Victoria Azarenka Who knew it was doubles?: The Belarusian tennis player discovered she was pregnant shortly after the French Open in May 2016, but kept it a secret until after Wimbledon last year. She announced her pregnancy to her Twitter followers by writing, in part, “I’m blessed to have so many examples of women, in every walk of life, who have pursued careers they love while raising children.” Coming back stronger: Seven weeks after she gave birth to her son Leo, Azarenka hit the training hard. She spent time in her native Belarus working with a new coach to strengthen the aggression of her serve and defend against new injuries, scheduling her training around her other pressing routine: feeding Leo. Cheer squad: Six months after having a baby, Azarenka chose no less than Wimbledon for her return tourney. The one-time world No. 1 lost in the fourth round, but shrugged it off afterwards. “I don’t go to an empty house after my loss and just cry there,” she said.
“I go home and spend time with my son. Regardless if I win or lose, he’s still going to smile when he sees me.” Andy Murray Right place, right time: As Andy Murray anticipated the birth of his daughter, Sophia, in early 2016, he vowed to quit the Australian Open should his wife Kim Sears go into early labour. “I’d be way more disappointed winning the Australian Open and not being at the birth of the child,” he said. Who is the Murray mole?: It appears someone in the Murray family has trouble keeping a secret. When Andy and Kim first told their inner circle in 2015 that they were expecting daughter Sophia, the news was quickly reported by the Sun of Lon- don. When they began sharing that they were expecting a second baby, the news was leaked by the Daily Mail. Less is more, tennis edition: When daughter Sophia was born, Murray was off the court for a month. Rather than hurt his game, he said fatherhood gave him a different mentality towards the game. “It lends perspective when you have a bad loss or bad practice,” he told the Guardian. Novak Djokovic It takes two: Last February, media in Djokovic’s native Serbia announced his high school sweetheart Jelena was pregnant for a second time. In October 2014, they welcomed their son Stefan. Daddy’s home . . . for five days: Djokovic barely took a breath after his son was born, playing in the Paris Masters tournament just five days after Stefan was born. You can’t win ’em all: After Stefan was born in 2014, Djokovic won Wimbledon for a second time.
This is year is a different story. As he and his wife are expecting their second child, Djokovic has announced he will miss the rest of the season due to an elbow injury. Mandy Minella Wimbledon warrior: The Luxembourg player was four and a half months pregnant when she played Wimbledon this year.
She announced the news during the press conference after her last game, then posted a photo on Twitter of her husband and coach Tim Sommer kissing her barely protruding belly on the court. Salad days: The Daily Mail reports that, while pregnant, Minella is eating homemade salads and, like any pregnant woman, avoiding raw foods and alcohol. Gap year: Her daughter is due in December, but Minella has vowed to return to Wimbledon in 2018, and “bring the baby buggy.”
“I’d be way more disappointed winning the Australian Open and not being at the birth of my child.” ANDY MURRAY