Serena Williams is at home this year instead of playing at Wimbledon, where she could have tied Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles with a win.
Williams, who is pregnant with her first child, said it is actually “pretty fantastic” to be on the sidelines as other players, including her sister, Venus Williams, march toward the trophy.
Serena Williams slams McEnroe's claim she'd be ranked 700 on men's tour Tennis star Serena Williams pregnant with her 1st child“I’m actually coping well, I mean I have the best reason to not play,” Williams, 35, told ABC News. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Williams said she will likely not be watching today as Venus Williams, 37, plays in the semi-finals against the U.K.'s Johanna Konta because she does not like to watch matches live. That is not to say she is not keeping an eye on her older sister and the rest of the women's tour.
“I am actually enjoying watching the footage,” said Williams, who won the Australian Open in January and later revealed she was in her first trimester of pregnancy at the time.
Williams and her fiancé, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, announced her pregnancy in April, but have not hinted at the baby's gender. The baby is due in the fall.
Williams, who is used to living on planes and in hotels, sounded content to be enjoying her time at home while pregnant.
“I’ve never had this time off before, or if I have I’ve been injured and it’s really different to be injured as opposed to be expecting,” she said. “I’ve been really enjoying my time off and getting ready for this new massive chapter in my life.”
Williams, who is based in Florida, revealed that her biggest luxury while being pregnant is getting quality sleep. She is partnering with Tempur-Pedic, including appearing in TV ads, after using the company’s mattresses for more than 10 years.
“I’m usually more of a night person but with my pregnancy I wake up in the morning a lot earlier and I go to bed really early, like 9 or 10 p.m., which is really crazy for me,” she said. “I’ve been really trying to indulge in my sleep.”
William, known for bringing a new level of strength to women’s tennis, described being able to sleep at home on her own Tempur-Pedic mattress as a source of power.
“That’s why I love being at home,” she said. “I think I spend most of my time on the road so this has been a really great way to really get my sleep and turn it into power.”
Williams plans to return full-time to her professional tennis career after giving birth but said only “we’ll see” when asked if she has a specific time frame in mind.
She said she is taking her pregnancy “one day at a time” and “not really getting too far ahead of myself” when it comes to preparing.
“I still have a little time left,” said Williams, who won her first Grand Slam nearly 20 years ago.
“I’ll be enjoying lots of family time in the next few months and resting as I prepare for the baby,” she said. “And like I said, just getting as much sleep in now as I can because I understand when the baby comes you won’t sleep as much.”