Serena Williams has opened up about her strict parenting approach, admitting that her rules have sometimes left both her and her daughter Olympia in tears. The tennis legend, who made her Wimbledon singles comeback on Tuesday, was defeated by world No. 87 Maya Joint in a three-set battle on Centre Court.
Wimbledon Comeback Ends in Defeat
Williams, 44, holds the Open Era women's record for 23 Grand Slam titles and has won Wimbledon 14 times. After initially retiring in 2022, she accepted a wildcard invitation to return to SW19, driven by her young children. However, she fell short against Joint, losing 6-3, 6-7, 6-3. Before the match, her two-year-old daughter Adira was escorted off Centre Court due to the All England Club's policy banning children under five from the player boxes.
'Extreme' Parenting Rule Revealed
Speaking on the IMO podcast alongside former first lady Michelle Obama, Williams admitted to enforcing an "extreme" rule: she never leaves her children for more than 24 hours. "I didn't leave Olympia until she was six for 24 hours. That may have been a little extreme, but that's who I am," she said. "I show up as much as I can every single day for the girls."
Discipline Brings Tears
Earlier this year, Williams shared an incident on X where she disciplined Olympia by canceling a sleepover after the child refused to go to bed. "She cried. But what she did not know is I cried harder. I hate when she cries. Discipline sucks. But sometimes it's important," Williams wrote. She emphasized the importance of being a present parent, saying, "I feel they need me, and I wanna raise my children."
Despite the singles loss, Williams will have another chance to compete at Wimbledon when she partners with her sister Venus in the women's doubles, giving her daughters another opportunity to watch her play.
