From carrying the Olympic torch across the river Seine to watching Simone Biles’ terrific comeback, women’s volleyball, Novak Djokovic becoming the greatest, and having a fun time in Paris. Serena Williams is back in town. And at home, some mommy duties await for the 23-time Grand Slam champion. Well, it’s not like Olympia and Adira were a miss in Paris. The mother of two frequently appeared with her elder daughter, enjoying the Olympics from the stands. But now the vacation time is over, and Williams is back to mom mode! And she found support in Pau Gasol’s wife, Catherine McDonnell (Gasol).
It’s not an easy task to manage professional commitments and be a parent at the same time. However, with the constant support of her husband, Alexis Ohanian, Williams had a relatively easy outing, as the father enjoyed going on a few escapades with their daughters. Disneyland was certainly one of them, where Ohanian skipped athletics to keep the promise with his girls.
However, the fun times are over for the family. And Williams is back to being a business mom, but before everything, she makes sure that her mommy duties are fulfilled. In a recent post on Instagram, dressed in an all black ensemble, Williams captioned the post, “Paris was fun … now back to being a mum .” And the former basketball player’s wife, Catherine made sure to remind her, that she was a mommy back in Paris too. Albeit a good one. She commented, “But you were even momming in Paris you bad***”
McDonell is herself a mom of two kids who she shares with Pau Gasol. Paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter, the couple named their daughter, born in 2020, Elisabet Gianna Gasol, while their son Max was born in 2022.
It’s heartwarming to see moms supporting each other. As a public figure, it’s certainly tough, as their every move is under scrutiny. But Williams has managed things with utmost perfection, as she transitioned into an entrepreneur while supporting the vast community through Serena Ventures. However, when she looks back into the time, having kids was not on Williams’ mind.
Serena Williams took a big leap: From the thought of not having kids to fulfilling mommy duties
Things are not as black and white as they seem to be. There are always some shades of gray. When Williams was thriving on the court, winning Grand Slams, having kids was not something she ever thought of, “Earlier in my career, I never thought about having kids.” Why? If her life is a testament, her struggles to make her mark in the tennis circuit are enough to answer all the whys. But now, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has a beautiful family, and she is a hands-on mother to her kids.
During a Vogue interview back in 2023, Williams opened up about her mommy duties with the Olympics. She said, “I’m not going to lie—I definitely have a lot of support. But I’m also an incredibly hands-on mother. My husband will tell you I am too hands-on. In five years, Olympia has only spent one 24-hour period away from me… I got to pick her up from school four or five days a week, and I always looked forward to seeing her face light up when she walked out of the building and saw me waiting there for her. The fact is that nothing is a sacrifice for me when it comes to Olympia.”
After Olympia, Williams has another bundle of joy occupying all her attention, Adira. And she would be on a repeat mode as the youngest member of the family grows. No wonder she updated the world about her mommy mode being on after a successful Paris Olympics.
