Tennis champion Serena Williams has shared some family time with her baby daughter after a controversial row over sexism during the US Open final. After being fined $17,000 (around £13,000) for receiving three violations for verbal and racquet abuse in the match against Naomi Osaka on Saturday, Serena managed to brush off tensions from the court and spend time with her gorgeous one-year-old daughter Alexis Olympia. In the video, Serena laughs along as Olympia runs around the room with her doll and gives her a kiss.
© Photo: InstagramSerena Williams plays with her daughter Alexis Olympia
Fellow sports stars and celebrities have shared their support for the 36-year-old after Serena strongly disagreed with the umpire’s decisions and called him a "liar"and a "thief". The mum-of-one - who has won the second most singles titles (23) in women's Grand Slam tournaments history - said in the post-match press conference: "I've seen other men call other umpires several things. I'm here fighting for women's rights and for women's equality and for all kinds of stuff. For me to say, 'thief'and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He's never taken a game from a man because they said, 'thief'. It blows my mind." Former world tennis champion Billie Jean King, who is an outspoken advocate for women's rights, backed Serena by tweeting: "When a woman is emotional, she’s 'hysterical'&and she’s penalised for it. When a man does the same, he’s ‘outspoken’ and there are no repercussions."
© Photo: Getty ImagesSerena Williams hugs Naomi Osaka after US Open final
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Serena has spent the last year juggling motherhood with her sports career and has always been honest about the difficulties she faces. In a post she shared on Twitter in August, Serena wrote: "Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mum. I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to three years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mum, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal. It's totally normal to feel like I'm not doing enough for my baby." But it looks like even the hardest day at work will never stop little Olympia Alexis from putting a smile on her mum’s face.
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