Serena Williams Just Played Her First Tennis Match Since Giving Birth

And her husband Alexis Ohanian couldn't be prouder.

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Serena Williams has had an eventful time in 2017. Not only did she get married to Alexis Ohanian, she also gave birth to their daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. But as 2017 isn't over quite yet, Williams decided to finish off the year by playing in her first tennis match since giving birth. And husband Ohanian couldn't have been prouder.

Williams announced her pregnancy in April 2017, having won the Australian Open in January 2017 while pregnant. The tennis superstar gave birth to her baby girl in September, got married in November, and has returned to the tennis court in December. In the sweetest post, husband Ohanian shared a photo of his wife at the match, with the caption, "Mama is back in the office."

Williams lost the game to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, while playing at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. However, Williams was incredibly excited to be "back in the office," and told the Associated Press, "I don’t know if I am totally ready to come back on the tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships."

And as for making her return to tennis after some time out, Williams said, "I have plenty of comebacks, from injuries, from surgeries, but I’ve never had a comeback after actually giving birth to a human being. So, in my eyes, I feel it was a wonderful, wonderful match for me."

Williams ended 2017 with yet another achievement, and it sounds as though 2018 is going to be another exciting year for the champion.

Amy Mackelden
Editor

Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.