Serena Williams Reveals Emotional Struggles After Withdrawing From Rogers Cup

Serena Williams withdrew herself from the Rogers Cup that began earlier this week citing personal reasons, but has now revealed in detail her struggle with postpartum emotions after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. in September 2017.

The American tennis legend returned to tennis earlier this year at the Indian Wells Masters and gradually improved after struggling to make it out of the initial rounds.

Williams made it to the round of 16 at the French Open before withdrawing and then surprised everyone by making the final of the Wimbledon Championships, where she lost to Angelique Kerber. However, the former world number one suffered the worst defeat of her career on July 31 when she lost 6-1, 6-0 to Great Britain’s Johanna Konta at the Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, California.

It was the first time, since the 36-year-old began her professional career in 1995, that she failed to win at least two games in a match. It was certainly not the start she was expecting for the second-half of the season after reaching the final at Wimbledon.

The 23-time women’s singles Grand Slam champion eventually withdrew from the Rogers Cup this week, but failed to confirm the reason for her withdrawal until Tuesday. Williams revealed via a post on her official Instagram account that it was mainly due to her struggle with postpartum emotions.

The American revealed that she has been “in a funk” off late which made her feel like she was not a “good mom” to daughter Alexis Olympia. Williams’ achievements on court and off have made her an inspiration to young girls and women across the world.

Despite the emotional struggle she is enduring, the former world number one insisted it was normal to go through these issues after child birth and urged other mothers to communicate rather than suffer in silence.

“Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom,” Williams wrote on Tuesday. “I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal."

"It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby. We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be,” she added. "However, that means although I have been with her every day of her life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be. Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes.”

“I’m here to say: if you are having a rough day or week — it’s ok — I am, too!!! There’s always tomm!”