Only two months after winning her 23rd grand slam while pregnant, Serena Williams is at it again. The tennis great is once again showing the world the power of motherhood, with her gorgeous cover photos for Vanity Fair.
The breathtaking portraits depict Serena nude and 7 months pregnant, regally showing off her baby bump.
Other shots capture Serena and her fiancé, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, sharing an incredibly tender moment. The couple got engaged in December last year and plan to tie the knot this fall, after the birth of their baby.
Six pregnancy tests
For the first time, Serena also publicly shared about the incredible journey of her pregnancy thus far.
She discovered that she was pregnant just a week before the start of the Australian open in January, Serena told Vanity Fair. Naturally, the realisation came as a shock for the tennis star — so much so that she took six pregnancy tests to confirm it.
Once she was sure, Serena told Vanity Fair, she called her fiancé and got him to fly out to Melbourne immediately. Upon meeting, she wordlessly handed him a paper bag with the six positive pregnancy tests.
After undergoing a medical exam to determine the risks of playing, the new mum went on to score a brilliant win at the Australian open. No one, outside her nearest and dearest, knew about her pregnancy — not even her coach.
Preparing for baby
Nine months may sound like a long time, but they speed by so quickly as your baby bump swells. Now that she's reaching her third trimester, Serena confided, her mind is still trying to process it all.
"It just doesn't seem real. I don't know why. Am I having a baby?"
“If you would have told me last year in October or November that I would have a baby, not be pregnant but have a baby, I would have thought you were the biggest liar in the world. This is kind of how I am right now. This is happening sooner than later, and it’s going by so fast.”
But because time and tot wait for no one, the to-be parents are already in the thick of preparations. Serena is busy converting one of the guest rooms in her house into the baby room.
Meanwhile, Alexis has set up a tip jar into which he puts money whenever he catches himself swearing. This is to stop himself from uttering profanity around the baby.
And of course, Serena already plans to be back on the tennis circuit come January. "I don't think my story is over yet," she said.
Looks like the tennis goddess is set to be a pro in both tennis and motherhood. It goes without saying that we can't wait to welcome her little one!
ALSO READ: Beyoncé flaunts her baby bump in stunning baby shower photos!