Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms

Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms—And In Her Own Words

This morning, my daughter, Olympia, who turns five this month, and I were on our way to get her a new passport before a trip to Europe.

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We’re in my car, and she’s holding my phone, using an interactive educational app she likes. This robot voice asks her a question: What do you want to be when you grow up?

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She doesn’t know I’m listening, but I can hear the answer she whispers into the phone. She says, “I want to be a big sister.”

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Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair

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I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family

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Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity. Don’t get me wrong: I love being a woman, and I loved every second of being pregnant with Olympia

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The best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.

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