Serena proves her greatness, even in defeat

For over half the population, myself included, we will never know or experience the physical and mental damage that carrying and giving birth to a child does to the human body. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination or common sense to realise that it’s extremely hard to go through all of that and still perform at the top of your game, even more so in the sporting pantheon.

So consider the fact that Serena Williams just reached her thirtieth Grand Slam final ten months after giving birth and battling through a horrendous delivery. Despite defeat to Angelique Kerber, Williams’ recorded one the most incredible tournament runs of her career displaying class, power and precision throughout Wimbledon in a competition that outlined her ‘GOAT’ credentials even more.

Right from the beginning of her pregnancy Williams has defied the odds of what many would think possible. Just days before she was set to play in the 2017 Australian Open, a competition she had already won six times, Serena discovered that she was pregnant. Having been told she was only three to four weeks pregnant, incorrectly as it transpired, she was actually eight to nine weeks gone, she decided to compete nonetheless.

Fast forward seven matches and Serena Williams is holding aloft the iconic Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup having just beaten her sister Venus in what looking back must have been a fixture of enormous pressure and emotion. It was a seventh title in Melbourne for Serena, and this was her best yet not just because she was pregnant but also because she went all the way through the tournament without losing a set for the first time in her career. Following her win in Australia Serena took the decision to take a break from tennis, with intentions even at thirty-five of returning and hitting the legendary quarter of a century mark of Grand Slam wins.

Williams has now won 23 Singles Grand Slam titles (Pic/Reuters) 

Throughout the pregnancy Williams continued to stay on top of her fitness, working out as much as she could whilst keeping the baby safe as top priority. For athletes at the height of the game sometimes the toughest competition isn’t from other people but from their own bodies. Williams’ own ability and work ethic has allowed her to dominate the women’s game for so long but her own pregnancy threatened to end this.  For most tennis players getting pregnant at thirty-five would have signaled a satisfactory time to call time on their careers, only Serena Williams isn’t like ‘most tennis players’.

However by the time she reached labour things had deteriorated for the American. With a past of blood clots, having a C-Section was never the favoured approach, undergoing any surgery with such a history means you are at a higher risk of clots forming again. Following a series of events the doctors advised that such a procedure might be necessary deciding that although there were some risks associated it was the best option for mother and child. Serena looked back on the moment saying how she was ‘terrified’ and that the experience was a  ‘whole new kind of fear’. When asked about tennis she said; ‘I don’t think it ever felt so far away, and I don’t think my life ever felt so unsure’.

Although her child, Alexis Olympia was born safely Serena’s health was put under even more pressure. Clots formed and soon spread to her lungs, causing her to develop a pulmonary embolism and extensive breathing difficulties. Her coughing which resulted caused her C-section stitches to tear open and force her once more onto the operating table. Even after this further clots developed and more surgery was required this time to fit her with a  filter that would prevent complications reaching her heart. There was no mistake, she was fighting for her life.

For the next six weeks Serena was bedridden, barely able to move, never mind train. The thought of making a Wimbledon final must have seemed nothing more than a painkiller induced dream. Despite all this her Grand Slam return came eight months after giving birth, she reached the fourth round of Roland Garros before she opted to retire. This was impressive enough to turn heads. It sent out a warning shot to the world that Serena was a competitor who despite almost dying was going to stick around for a lot longer, and not just that but hold her own. Injuries and pains from the pregnancy still loomed large but she was getting stronger with every day, buoyed with a new confidence in the shape of her new born child.

Williams competing in Paris (Pic/Getty)

Then came Wimbledon where she won six matches in a row against some of the most motivated and talented individuals in her discipline. Her absence from the game meant she had fallen down the rankings and Wimbledon organisers gave her the 25^th seed spot despite her ranking 183^rd at the time the decision was made. Its a debate for another day about how the WTA should deal with pregnancy and seeding but this was a clear indication that the tennis world still knew that Williams was capable of competing to a decent standard. Only a 25^th seed spot implies she should fall in the third round, instead she powered on through reaching the last two alongside German Angelique Kerber.

To be able to return to the peak of your sport so quickly after bringing life into the world is an undeniably incredible achievement. This yet another example of one of the world’s greatest athletes highlighting just why they are considered that. There’s no doubt Serena reached the top with some help from natural talent but there can be no denying now, if there was even any before, just as to why she has remained there for so long; determination, hard-work and character. Sure Federer and Nadal are great players and there will inevitably always be those who say no female player including Serena would ever be able to compete with them in a competitive match. Maybe that’s true, maybe it’s not! Have either of those ever given birth and made a Wimbledon final ten months later though? They play the same sport but different games, and in the women’s game Williams is queen.

Alysia Montano competes whilst pregnant (Pic/Ap)

Williams isn’t the first woman to ever have competed pregnant or even soon after giving birth, nor will she be the last. However, few of these sportswomen have achieved what Serena Williams did prior to childbirth, few have contended with the same levels of physical and mental stress that she had to go through during and directly after it, and even fewer will achieve what she is undoubtedly set to do in the years that will follow. If nothing more than proving what a phenomenal tennis player she is Williams has also proved an often overlooked fact, that a woman’s body is an immensely powerful and resilient thing. The effects of her comeback might just keep a few more top sportswomen who thought motherhood was the end around for a bit longer.

Henry Justice