"I am prepared for that day, I've been prepared for that day for over a decade" - Serena Williams on her retirement
At the age of 40, Serena Williams has reached the stage of her career where questions over her retirement are unavoidable. Although it is not on the cards any time soon, the American revealed in a recent interview that she has always had contingency plans in place for that inevitable moment.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, the 23-time Grand Slam champion noted she inherited the habit from her father Richard Williams. It was at his behest, she learnt the importance of being prepared. She sees no reason why the subject of her retirement should be any different.
"I am prepared for [the day of my retirement]. I've been prepared for that day for over a decade. If you've seen King Richard, you know that my dad always said, "You've got to prepare!" So, I've been prepared for that," Williams said. "You know, at the end of the day, I think it's really important to always have a plan and that's kind of what I did. I always had a plan."
Serena Williams plans to be at the Red Carpet for the Academy Awards. Also talks about preparing for retirement (when it’s time) and possibly having more kids.
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The major concern for most athletes post-retirement is how they would make ends meet, but that's not a problem for the former World No. 1. Being a shrewd investor and an entrepreneur off the tennis court, Williams has different challenges altogether.
The 40-year-old remarked that her days are tough because of her busy work schedule. With more than 20 endorsement partners and numerous startups that she has invested in to keep her occupied, Serena Williams noted the lack of time to devote to her personal life.
Despite all this, however, the American was proud of how she tried to be the best wife and mother she could be.
"Some days are harder than others [because of my busy schedule]. It is definitely tougher because I'm still a mom and I'm still a wife. I want to be able to spend time [with my husband and kid] and I like to be good at things, so I want to be the best mom," Williams said. "[Thankfully] I just have a wonderful team around me. There are days that are overwhelming but I just have to figure it out and just make it work."
"I definitely want to have more kids; it'll happen hopefully soon when I feel no pressure" - Serena Williams
Serena Williams, who already has a 4-year-old daughter named Olympia, also revealed over the course of the interview that she wanted to have more kids in the future. She stated that she and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, had agreed on the decision and that it was only a matter of finding the right timing that worked for them both.
"I definitely want to have more kids, I'm just trying to find that balance. I don't know, it's always like, OK, are we ready?" Williams said. "And I know the clock is ticking so I'm just like OK, I need to figure out when that's going to be, but hopefully soon when I will feel no pressure."
Serena Williams is currently still recovering from the hamstring injury she sustained during the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. The American has missed the last two Grand Slams in a row and has fallen to as low as World No. 247 in the WTA rankings.