Serena Williams recently shared a photo of herself in a bikini, six months after welcoming her baby, highlighting the importance of “self-love.”
In the photo shared on Monday, the tennis legend is seen in beachwear, holding her newborn daughter, Adira, who was born in August.
At 42, the celebrated American athlete emphasized in her caption the essential nature of loving oneself, celebrating the fact that her body “is not picture perfect.”
“I find that I have to remind myself of self-love through all different stages of my life,” she wrote.
“Right now, I love that my body is not picture perfect. I love that I smell like milk – milk that sustains Adira. I love getting to know a new version of my body,” she elaborated.
Having announced her retirement from tennis in 2022, Williams has been an outspoken supporter of embracing one’s natural body.
In an interview with British Vogue in 2020, she discussed her challenges with body image growing up and the journey towards accepting her physique.
“How amazing that my body has been able to give me the career that I’ve had, and I’m really thankful for it,” she added.
“I only wish I had been thankful sooner. It just all comes full circle when I look at my daughter.”
Married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Williams welcomed their first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in 2017.
She shared her harrowing experience of an emergency C-section and subsequent surgeries for pulmonary embolisms following the birth.
She also revealed her struggle with postnatal depression, stating, “I think people need to talk about it more because it’s almost like the fourth trimester; it’s part of the pregnancy.
“I remember one day, I couldn’t find Olympia’s bottle and I got so upset I started crying because I wanted to be perfect for her.”
Not long after giving birth to her first child, Williams marked her return to competitive tennis at the French Open, showcasing her resilience and determination.
