To celebrate reaching 10 million followers on Instagram, Serena Williams shared a photo of herself and her 13-month-old daughter, Alexis Olympia, playing in a sandbox. In the photo, baby Alexis is wearing an adorable onesie that reads “More Issues Than Vogue,” while Williams looks on lovingly in the background. It‘s just the latest glimpse into Williams’s life as a mom with her daughter. “For my 10 million followers. Thank you,” she captioned the photo.
Since giving birth, the tennis icon has been extremely candid about how difficult it’s been trying to juggle her career with being a mother. “It’s been so hard balancing being a mom and starting my clothing line, as well as playing a professional sport!” Williams told People recently. “However, it is the challenge that makes it fun!”
She’s also revealed how becoming a mother has changed her perspective on a variety of important issues, including domestic abuse. “Having a daughter changes your outlook on so many things in the world,” Williams told Elle earlier this month.
“The last year has really changed my already passionate mind-set. There’s a lot of other women out there that could be my daughter or my sister that are in an [abusive] situation. You never know—sometimes you meet a person and they’re amazing, and a week later or a month later or a couple years later they turn out to be something different, and it’s not [your] fault.”
That newfound perspective is what made Williams partner up with Purple Purse, an organization that’s dedicated to ending domestic violence through financial empowerment. “[Victims] can’t leave their situation[s], because they cannot financially afford to,” she told Elle. “We want to make them aware that’s not OK…and provide victims a safe way out of violence through financial tools and resources.”
