Since announcing her retirement in August, Serena Williams has been looking back on her historic, multi-decade career more than ever.
MORE: Serena Williams details how her daughter is keeping her busy since retiring
She concluded her competitive tennis career during the US Open the first week of September, and as she starts adapting to retired life, she's opening up about her decision to step away from the sport.
The star revealed that she had been considering moving away from tennis for several years, and that her pregnancy and birth to daughter Olympia Ohanian five years ago contributed to her decision.
WATCH: Serena Williams and daughter Olympia provided a rare glimpse into their luxurious bedroom
MORE: Serena Williams is sexy in the city as she rocks curve-hugging body con dress in Manhattan
Speaking to none other than Bradley Cooper alongside her sister, Venus Williams, for the A+E Networks and the History Channel's History Talks in Washington D.C., she detailed her thought process when deciding to retire.
"I just needed to stop," she admitted, explaining that: "I always said I wanted to stop when I'm playing really good tennis and winning and beating good players."
She added: "For me, it's really about things I want to do spiritually and spending time with my daughter and family."
© Photo: Getty ImagesSerena played her last match on 2 September against Ajla Tomljanovic
Serena also revealed that welcoming her daughter with husband Alexis Ohanian in 2017 truly changed everything for her.
MORE: Serena Williams jokes about tennis comeback courtesy of Tom Brady
MORE: Serena Williams set to play with Venus Williams during last ever tournament
She confessed: "As a super hands-on mom, I can't tell you how hard it was. I lost so many matches after I had Olympia because it was so hard to be on the court. I feel like I've given so much of my life to tennis, my entire life, that it's time to do something different for me and also work on other things."
© Photo: Getty ImagesOlympia was right there cheering on her mom during her last matches
The Olympian announced her evolution from tennis by gracing Vogue's September issue, revealing just how much family had to do with the major decision.
She announced that a significant reason was that her daughter had been asking for a sibling, and as she and her husband focused on expanding their family, she maintained that she didn't want to be pregnant and playing at the same time, which she did for the initial weeks of her first pregnancy.
Read more HELLO! US stories here
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
