--- title: Serena Williams Gives Vogue Interview About Daughter description: Serena Williams isn't keen on her daughter following in her very accomplished footsteps because she would like her to have a "normal life." canonical: https://time.com/5096845/serena-williams-doesnt-want-daughter-to-play-tennis/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-10T16:19:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:49:40.576Z og:title: Serena Williams Doesn't Want Daughter to Play Tennis og:description: "I’d like her to have a normal life. I didn’t have that.” og:url: https://time.com/5096845/serena-williams-doesnt-want-daughter-to-play-tennis/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b4e9c76dda87173/6988f7bb22fb850525e24554/serena-williams-daughter-olympia-c-section.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: Glamour Celebrates 2017 Women Of The Year Awards - Arrivals og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Serena Williams Doesn't Want Daughter to Play Tennis twitter:description: "I’d like her to have a normal life. I didn’t have that.” twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b4e9c76dda87173/6988f7bb22fb850525e24554/serena-williams-daughter-olympia-c-section.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Go Through a Different Door.' Why Serena Williams Doesn't Want Her Daughter to Follow Her Career Path > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=96c7a39e-476c-466c-b1fe-03c98f5a3887&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Jan 10, 2018 4:19 PM UTC  BROOKLYN, NY - NOVEMBER 13: Serena Williams attends Glamour's 2017 Women of The Year Awards at Kings Theatre on November 13, 2017 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Glamour) BROOKLYN, NY - NOVEMBER 13: Serena Williams attends Glamour's 2017 Women of The Year Awards at Kings Theatre on November 13, 2017 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Glamour) Bryan Bedder—Getty Images for Glamour  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Jan 10, 2018 4:19 PM UTC [Serena Williams](http://time.com/collection/firsts/4921998/firsts-full-list/)‘ baby daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. may have already “won” her first grand slam because her mother was [eight weeks pregnant with her when she won the 2017 Australian Open](http://time.com/4856945/expecting-mom-serena-williams-says-tennis-maybe-skips-a-generation/), but don’t expect Williams to be pushing her to become a tennis star. In an interview with [_Vogue_](https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-vogue-cover-interview-february-2018), where Williams and Olympia appear on the February cover together and Williams reveals the health scare she had after having an emergency C-section, she talks about how she has no intentions of grooming her daughter to follow in her very prestigious footsteps on the tennis court. “I would hate her to have to deal with comparisons or expectations,” Williams said. “It’s so much work, and I’ve given up so much. I don’t regret it, but it’s like _Sliding Doors_: Go through a different door and lead a different life. I’d like her to have a normal life. I didn’t have that.” Williams also shared that she felt extremely blessed that she had a daughter, however, because it gives her the opportunity to teach her to dream big, especially as a woman. “I think sometimes women limit themselves,” she said. “I’m not sure why we think that way, but I know that we’re sometimes taught to not dream as big as men, not to believe we can be a president or a CEO, when in the same household, a male child is told he can be anything he wants. I’m so glad I had a daughter. I want to teach her that there are no limits.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5096845/serena-williams-doesnt-want-daughter-to-play-tennis/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5096845/serena-williams-doesnt-want-daughter-to-play-tennis/"},"headline":"'Go Through a Different Door.' 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