It’s official, Serena Williams is now a mom!
On Friday, the 35-year-old tennis champ and her fiancé, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian welcomed their first child together —during the week of the US Open— as confirmed by Bleacher Report. WPBF 25 reporter Chris Shepherd of West Palm Beach, Florida reported that the baby girl weighs 6 pounds, 13 ounces.
Ohanian popped the question to Williams in December of 2016, then in April, she accidentally revealed that she was pregnant via Snapchat. Showing off her 20 week bikini-clad baby bump, the future Mrs. Ohanian uploaded the image to her public story instead of saving it to her phone.
“Well, actually, it was an accident,” she told Gayle King in an interview about her gaff. “I was on vacation just taking some time for myself. I have this thing where I’ve been checking my status and taking pictures every week to see how far along I’m going.”
Serena later announced her pregnancy officially by penning a beautiful letter to her unborn baby that read, “My Dearest Baby, You gave me the strength I didn’t know I had,” she wrote in a caption. “You taught me the true meaning of serenity and peace. I can’t wait to meet you. I can’t wait for you to join the players box next year. But most importantly, I am so happy to share being number one in the world with you…once again today. On @alexisohanian bday. from the world’s oldest number one to the world’s youngest number one. -Your Mommy.”
Throughout her pregnancy, Williams enjoyed all of the perks, including a super supportive fiancé, having fun with family and friends on vacation and during her bridal shower. Williams friends and family threw her an adorable 50’s-themed baby shower. The star even toyed with her sister Venus’ emotions by telling the fellow tennis champion she would soon have a niece just to get her way.
Williams has said that during her pregnancy, she turned to her mother, Oracene Price, for advice on raising a strong child. “My mom has always been so strong for me and she’s been the woman that has just literally been unbreakable and someone that I always look up to — and all my sisters looked up to,” Williams said at the #BlogHer17 conference in June.
“So in the midst of having a child, it’s like all of the sudden you start thinking about the lessons your parents taught you, especially my mom. And you start thinking about, ‘Wow, what do I want to raise my kid as?’ And when you’re young and you’re growing up you think your parents may be strict. Then you realize when you’re older and you’re like, could they have been a little stricter? Or should I have done this more? It’s like this is what I want my son or daughter to look like and this is what I want my son or daughter to do. And so I feel like all those lessons that she taught me about being so strong, of being proud of who I am, of being able to look anyone in the face and have confidence and speak with so much confidence is something that I really have been able to embrace and would love to teach my kid that.”
Congrats to the new family of three!