Serena Williams is fully enjoying her life as a mom. The tennis legend, who turns 43 on September 26, 2024, shares her daughters—Olympia, born in 2017, and Adira, born in 2023—with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, whom she has been married to for seven years.

 

After concluding her 27-year professional tennis career in 2022, Williams shifted her focus to family life, launching her makeup line, Wyn Beauty, and expanding her venture capital fund, Serena Ventures. Reflecting on her journey, the 23-time Grand Slam champion shared with PEOPLE in January 2021, “I’ve been so focused on my career my whole life, but when I had a family and got married, I realized that there’s so much more to life. And that was great.”

 

As she prepares to celebrate her 43rd birthday, join us in looking back at 43 of Williams’ most cherished mom moments over the years!

 

01 of 43 Hold Tight

 

Despite Serena’s best efforts to hold Adira still, her daughter climbed all over her in a playful video posted to the tennis star’s Instagram.

 

02of 43Love for the Game

Serena Williams and Olympia Ohanian.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

 

Olympia experienced her first Olympic Games with Serena in Paris. In matching shades, the mother-daughter duo watched the Jumping final on day 11.

 

03of 43Cooking Mama

 

Serena Williams and Adira Ohanian.

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

Baby Adira watched her mother prepare tacos for the family’s must-have “Taco Tuesdays.”

 

04of 43I Sea You

Serena Williams and Adira Ohanian.

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

Serena wrote a reminder to herself and her followers that “loving yourself is essential” in every stage of life.

 

“Right now I love that my body is not picture perfect. I love that I smell like milk – that milk sustains @adiraohanian,” she explained. “I love getting to know a new version of my body. It is a change, but it’s a change that has been well worth it.”

 

05of 43Just Beachy!

Serena Williams and Olympia Ohanian.

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

Mother and daughter took a January vacation to more tropical climate, jumping for joy by the shoreline.

 

06of 43Woman of the World

 

Flaunting her French fluency, Serena guided Olympia through lifting and lowering her 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 sister in a cheeky “workout” video.

 

07of 43New Baby, New Lashes

Serena Williams and Adira Ohanian.

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

Serena showed off her newborn daughter and her lashes with a close-up selfie.

 

08of 43A New Addition

 

Alexis Ohanian Sr., Serena Williams, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., and Adira Ohanian.

Alexis Ohanian Sr./ Instagram

 

Alexis and Serena welcomed their second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, on Aug. 15, 2023. A week after the birth, Alexis penned a tribute to his wife, who he dubbed “GMOAT” (Greatest Mother of All-Time).

 

“I’m grateful to report our house is teaming with love: a happy & healthy newborn girl and happy & healthy mama. Feeling grateful,” he wrote.

 

Serena posted the same photo with a short and sweet caption: “Adira River Ohanian 😍❤️.”

 

09of 43Sun’s, Tongues Out

 

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

Happy 4th birthday, Alexis Olympia! We like to imagine that our favorite budding tennis star and her mom are celebrating with the level of enthusiasm they brought to this silly selfie.

 

10of 43Pajama Party

We all know pajama parties are the best parties — and this mother-daughter duo took their cozy levels to the max with this matching set!

 

“I got it from my Mama,” reads Olympia’s sweatshirt, while Serena’s simple reads, “Mama.”

 

11of 43Hit It!

 

Olympia once again showed off her s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s on the court as her mom proudly looked on. “Turn, back, reach, head, follow through,” Serena captioned the shot, repeating the lessons she’s passing on to her daughter.

 

12of 43Hard at Work

 

Olympia is learning the ropes from her mom on and off the courts, according to this adorable selfie of the pair at work. “Office mommy and me vibes,” wrote Serena.

 

13of 43Pretty in Pink

 

The mother-daughter duo are the reigning champions of coordinating their too-cute looks. Whether it’s Disney princesses or matching PJs, this pair is always dressed to impress.

 

14of 43’Serving’ Lewks

 

Double(s) Trouble! Serena’s sister and fellow tennis superstar Venus pretty much summed it up with her comment on these heart-melting photos of the mother-daughter duo hitting the court in matching purple ‘fits: “I just love her and you too much! If this gets any cuter I will NOT LIVE!”

 

15of 43Belles of the Ball

 

There is nothing cuter than Serena and her daughter Olympia dancing around in matching Belle outfits and singing to Beauty and the Beast.

 

16of 43Olympia See, Olympia Do

 

Olympia loves spending time with her mom, doing their morning routine. “It’s just so fun because this little 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 girl pretty much does everything I do,” Serena told her followers with a big smile on her face. The way that the toddler copies her mom and washes her face makes our hearts melt.

 

17of 43Dance Party

 

Serena and Olympia danced it out to “I Have a Dream” from Tangled.

 

18of 43Princess Behavior

 

When Serena plays dress up with Olympia, she goes all out! In fact, it the rule in the Williams-Ohanian home: “Princess attired required for conversations with @olympiaohanian,” Williams captioned this sweet photo.

 

19of 43Snuggle Squad

Serena Williams Alexis Ohanian and their daughter.

 

Alexis Olympia (called Olympia for short), 2, cuddled up with her parents in bed shortly after the trio announced that they would be “spending the next 6 weeks in solitude” due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

20of 43All in a Day’s Work

 

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

“I am not sure who took this picture but working and being a mom is not easy,” Williams admitted on Instagram alongside a photo of her and a sleeping Olympia cuddled up in the car. “I am often exhausted, stressed, and then I go play a professional tennis match. We keep going. I am so proud and inspired by the women who do it day in and day out. I’m proud to be this 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢’s mama,” she wrote, adding the hashtags “#nofilter #nomakeup #nohairbursh lol #justme.”

 

21of 43Toddlers & Trophies

 

MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP via Getty Images

 

In January, Olympia hit the court with her mom to celebrate Williams’ win against Jessica Pegula in their women’s singles final match during the Auckland Classic tennis tournament in New Zealand.To

 

22of 43Like Mother, Like Daughter

Serena Williams Instagram

 

The mother-daughter duo shared yet another matching moment during a tropical getaway together in September 2019.

 

23of 43Model Moves

 

Serena Williams and daughter Alexis Olympia. Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

 

She even made her catwalk debut alongside her mom during the show!

 

24of 43Making Moves for Mom Too

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

Serena echoed the statement by saying she “can’t imagine” how hard it must be for moms who only get a few weeks of maternity leave: “It’s impossible. I literally couldn’t have done it … [Parental leave is] so important for both parents.”

 

25of 43It’s a Stretch

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

The tennis champion has made no secret about wanting to minimize her time away from her daughter – to the point that she makes her part of her workouts.

 

26of 43Think Pink

 

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

Mommy/daughter matching! The two twinned in poodle skirts.

 

27of 43Cover Girl

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

The former Vogue cover star shares her good genes – and $900 makeup routine – with her daughter.

 

28of 43Family Portrait

 

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

The family of three enjoy some quality time together.

 

29of 43Sleepy Time

Olympia Ohanian/Instagram

Williams and Ohanian’s little girl squeezes a nap into her busy schedule.

 

30of 43Here Comes the Sun

Serena Williams/Instagram

Olympia and her mom are beaming with happiness in this mother-daughter selfie.

 

31of 43Animal House

 

Serena Williams/Instagram

To the zoo they go! “Went back to the zoo from our first date … Brought a third wheel this time,” Ohanian wrote, jokingly referring to the couple’s daughter. “We didn’t mind.”

 

32of 43Happy Little Lady

Serena Williams/Instagram

Alexis Olympia is a total natural in front of the camera as she smiles with her tennis champ mama.

 

33of 43Throwing Shade

Serena Williams/Instagram

Williams and her 6-month-old daughter feel “shady” — but you’d never suspect it from their huge smiles.

 

34of 43I Heart You

Serena Williams/Snapchat

The too-cute 6-month-old starred in an Instagram Live session alongside her famous mom on Wednesday, hanging out next to her very own tiny tennis racket.

 

35of 43Pretty in Pink

Serena Williams/Instagram

To cap off 2017, the tennis champ shared a series of 10 intimate home videos, starring none other than her adorable daughter.

 

36of 43Holiday Cheer

Serena Williams/Instagram

Williams and daughter Alexis Olympia sport matching holiday looks on the 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 girl’s first-ever Christmas.

 

37of 43Oh, Baby

 

Serena Williams/Twitter

 

The tennis champ got candid about her daughter’s struggles with teething on Twitter, captioning a sweet mother-daughter pic. “Teething- aka the devil – is so hard,” wrote Williams. “Poor Alexis Olympia has been so uncomfortable. She cried so much (she never cries) I had to hold her until she fell asleep. I’ve tried amber beads… cold towels…. chew on mommies fingers…. homeopathic water (lol on that one) but nothing is working. It’s breaking my heart.”

 

38of 43Family First

 

Serena Williams/Instagram

Olympia yawns as she and the tennis champ clock in some mother-daughter time.

 

39of 43Tiny Jet-Setter

Serena Williams/Snapchat

 

At just 10 weeks old, the couple’s daughter was already living the glamorous life! Alexis Olympia’s tennis pro mom and her Reddit co-founder dad took flight in a private plane — and the proud parents captured the journey in a video posted to Instagram.

 

40of 43Flower Power

 

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

Williams cuddled her 6-week-old — and put the pair in matching flower crowns via a Snapchat filter — for an October post asking other moms about their thoughts on push presents.

 

41of 43Fun First, Sleep Later

Alexis Olympia Ohanian/Instagram

 

New moms don’t always have the easiest time staying well rested, but 3-week-old Alexis Olympia shared a pic on Instagram of her mom getting some shut-eye. “Mama never sleeps,” read the caption on the photo, posted to the newborn’s own Instagram account. “When she does, I go on adventures with daddy. ‘Come on!’ ”

 

42of 43Social Media Superstar

Serena Williams/Instagram

Not only did 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 Alexis make her worldwide debut in a sweet video compilation shared on her famous parents’ social media accounts, but the newborn is a social media star herself — garnering an impressive 64,700 Instagram followers at only a few weeks old.

 

43of 43Mommy & Me

Serena Williams/Instagram

 

She’s here! Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian became parents on Sept. 1, 2017 when they welcomed their first child, a daughter named Alexis Olympia.