Serena Williams won final Grand Slam while secretly pregnant at Australian Open

10 January 2024 , 15:03

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Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant (Image: Getty Images)

Seven years ago, Serena Williams secured her final Grand Slam title after winning the Australian Open while pregnant.

The dominant American, who eased past the likes of Great Britain's Johanna Konta and Croatia's Mirjana Lucic-Baroni during the tournament, beat her sister, Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the final at Rod Laver Arena.

It was a stunning win for Williams, who didn't lose a set throughout the competition, as she moved above Steffi Graff and one behind all-time leader Margaret Court with her 23rd Grand Slam title.

Williams' success was signified even further when it was reported that she romped to her seventh Australian Open title while pregnant. As per to Vanity Fair, five people knew about her pregnancy during the tournament, which included husband Alexis Ohanian, sister Venus, and the doctor who had examined her.

Her coach, Patrick Jean Andre Mouratoglou, and tournament officials didn't have any idea. Although Williams didn't lose a set in Melbourne, she was forced to overcome a nervy start against sister Venus, before coming through to serve out the match and secure a famous victory.

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A matter of months after the tournament, Williams posted on Instagram with a picture of the bump, followed by the caption: "My Dearest Baby, You gave me the strength I didn’t know I had. You taught me the true meaning of serenity and peace. I can't wait to meet you.

"I can't wait for you to join the players box next year. But most importantly, I am so happy to share being number one in the world with you.... once again today. On @alexisohanian bday. from the world's oldest number one to the world's youngest number one. -Your Mommy."

Later that year, Williams revealed how nervous she was after finding out she was pregnant just two days before the start of the tournament. "You hear all these stories about people when they're pregnant — they get sick, they get really tired, really stressed out... I had to really take all that energy and put it in a paper bag, so to say, and throw it away," Williams said during a TED Talk interview.

Serena Williams won her seventh Australian Open title in 2017 (Getty Images)

"I really felt that I didn’t have time to deal with any extra emotions, any extra anything, because, pregnant or not, no one knew, and I was supposed to win that tournament as I am every tournament that I show up [for]. If I don’t win, it’s actually much bigger news."

After over a year out, Williams returned to Grand Slam tennis at the French Open in 2018. She suffered a fourth-round exit in that competition and did not won another major title before retiring in September 2022.

Kieran King