Serena Williams has not won any tournament in 2018 and yet, for this American tennis player, this year that ends has been memorable.
His return to tennis after suffering serious health problems after the birth of his daughter in September 2017 was a triumph on his own, and for this and other achievements he has received for the fifth time The Associated Press recognition as the Woman Athlete of the Year
Woman courage and example for other mothers
If her four previous awards were for her achievements on the track, this year the press has rewarded her for her perseverance. Since Serena Williams gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, in September 2017, she had blood clotting problems, something that almost cost her life during childbirth, and that forced her to enter the operating room again keep bed for six weeks when returning home.
Still, he decided to return to the slopes and chose Rolland Garros for his return to a Grand Slam, in August 2018. As usual, he returned to call attention for his outfit, this time replacing the classic pants skirt set and sports top by a full black mesh, short sleeve, long pants and a red belt tight at the waist.
In Babies and more, Serena Williams' postpartum monkey is banned, but we (like Nike) support herAlthough, as she explained in her Twitter account, she chose these clothes for medical reasons, she was banned by the French Tennis Association. Still, she claims that she felt like a hero and that it was a tribute to the mothers who had a hard time in their postpartum.
Catsuit anyone For all the moms out there who had a tough recovery from pregnancyhere you go. If I can do it, so can you. Love you all
He had to retire at Rolland Garros and lost in the Wimbledon final, but Serena feels the winner and they have recognized him for another year, for these samples and some more.
Fight for the female athlete
Photo: Jared He has stated on different occasions how difficult it is for a woman to be a mother without losing her recognition in sport.
He denounced that in tennis pregnancy is equated with an injury, so that the sports career is suspended until the return to the courts, losing the place in the international ranking. Serena Willians moved from first place to 491, in just 14 months.
The last Grand Slam he won, 23 in his career, was the 2017 Australian Open, a tournament he played eight weeks pregnant and did not return to the courts until Olympia had turned six months.
The strict calendar, which forces the players to travel the world to accumulate points to qualify for the biggest competitions, makes tennis one of the sports with less facilities for women to reconcile having a child and maintain their professional level.
And it is that the policy of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) only protects their ranking for eight tournaments, and without the option of doing so as heads of series, a measure that presses the players to have to Return as soon as possible, with the psychological and physical difficulties that your profession entails.
Luckily, and partly thanks to players like her and the Belarusian tennis player, Victoria Azarenka, who also recently returned to the tennis courts after having her son in December, the WTA has decided to change the conditions of pregnant tennis players.
The great goal of the new season for Serena Williams is to conquer one more Grand Slam tournament and thus become the player with the greatest titles in history along with the Australian Margaret Court, which won 24 between the 60s and 70s.
But for 2018, the American tennis player goes with another valuable triumph: having influenced the WTA and achieving benefits for women. Something with which he says he feels very happy:
"It's great. Younger women can have children without worrying about it, and not have to wait until the twilight of their careers to become mothers."
From January 1, the pregnancy will be considered as a specific and different circumstance, not as an injury. In addition, the new regulation specifies that:
“If a player is out of competition for pregnancy or medical reasons, she will be allowed to use her special ranking for three years. In the case of pregnancy, the period of time will be calculated from the birth of the child ”.
In addition, although the WTA did not have a rule that explicitly prohibited a player from wearing skirtless leggings (as Serena did), the Board of Directors has added a point that makes its position clear against the French Tennis Federation: "Leggings and mid-compression shorts can be worn with or without a skirt, shorts, or dress."
Maternity icon
And if this were not enough, Serena has helped to normalize motherhood from her Instagram account, by showing without hesitation the pros and cons of being an elite mother and athlete today.
Sometimes I have to throw my hands up in the air. #thismama used to have a living room. Now I just have a play room. When did that happen
And her sincere comments help many mothers who take her as an example of strength and courage. Do not forget that Serena Willians is already 37 years old and continues to compete at the highest level in tennis with young people at almost double age, and after being a mother and trying to be as close as possible to her little girl, who only He is 16 months old.
Serena, keep it up! As you came to say on your return to Rolland Garros: "It can".
In Babies and more, even the very strong Serena Williams declares feeling vulnerable at times to her recent motherhood Photos | Jaredings
