Serena Williams lost her return tennis match since giving birth at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi on Saturday to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
"I don't think I am going to rate my performance," Williams, who had Alexis Ohanian in September, told ESPN. "I have plenty of comebacks, from injuries, from surgeries, but I've never had a comeback after actually giving birth to a human being. So, in my eyes, I feel it was a wonderful, wonderful match for me."
Williams lost the first set 6-2, won the second 6-3 and then lost the tiebreaker 10-5. That’s not bad for someone who hasn’t played competitive tennis in nearly a year, all things considered.The legendary athlete last took the tennis court in January, when she defeated her sister Venus in the climactic finale of the Australian Open. We later discovered that Williams was several weeks pregnant while winning the tournament. An icon.
In an on-court interview, Williams talked about her experience as a mother.
“Motherhood is phenomenal. I was a little worried out there and I looked at my camp and I was like ‘Is Olympia OK?’. But it’s really good,” the tennis star said, according to The Guardian. “I’m excited, it’s good to be back on the court. This was such a good time for me. It’s my first time playing in Abu Dhabi so thank you guys for the support. First matches back are always super incredibly hard, especially after having a baby but it was great, I’m glad I could do it here.”—Philip Lewis
