How pregnant Serena Williams won the Australian Open. Pregnant Serena Williams stripped naked for the cover of Vanity Fair Serena plans a comeback

Illustration copyright AFP Image caption Serena Williams is the most decorated tennis player in tournament history Grand Slam

"Serena Williams won a Grand Slam while pregnant so all men should probably shut up forever," one Twitter user wrote.

The American tennis player announced she was 20 weeks pregnant, meaning Serena, 35, won her record 23rd Grand Slam singles title while eight weeks pregnant.

This news found a wide response on social networks, whose users said that Serena Williams is the GOAT. (For those who know English: it's not what you think. This abbreviation means "greatest of all time" - the greatest of all time. - editor's note )

Serena deserves everyone's admiration, Twitter users said.

The well-known truth is that doing anything that requires effort is often not at all easy for a woman in the first weeks of pregnancy.

Get up? Maybe. To get to work? May be. Eat breakfast? Forget about it.

This is all because the female body undergoes serious changes.

Even before a barely noticeable tummy appears, hormones begin to dance, making adjustments to the functioning of the female body.

During the first weeks, most women experience fatigue caused by rising levels of two hormones - progesterone and estrogen.

Women in such a situation are usually advised to get plenty of rest. In the case of Serena, this advice clearly does not apply.

Many women suffer from nausea. It often starts in the morning and does not go away by lunchtime. A small percentage of pregnant women are affected so severely that they have to be hospitalized.

Regular vomiting does not surprise anyone and sometimes begins even before pregnancy is diagnosed by a doctor.

But even if Serena was lucky and didn't feel sick in the first weeks, she could very well face other problems.

These include breast swelling, the need to frequently run to the toilet, and a sudden aversion to previously familiar foods and smells.

During pregnancy, the body's blood volume increases, which causes the kidneys to process more fluid, which ends up in the bladder.

Hormones produced during pregnancy can also lead to constipation and heartburn as the body adjusts to caring for the growing fetus.

Research shows that starting from the fifth week, Serena should have felt major changes in the cardiovascular system that delivers blood to the fetus.

Physical exercise in this state is beneficial and not dangerous for the child, according to the website of the UK State Health Care System. British doctors urge pregnant women to active image life, if they feel comfortable with it.

Serena's high level of training and her regime regular training, may have helped her endure the initial stages of pregnancy more easily.

Changes in the brain

Some changes occur during pregnancy in a woman's brain.

Recent studies have shown that pregnancy reduces the volume of gray matter in some parts of the brain, which helps bond a woman with her baby and prepares her for motherhood.

Researchers say the changes in the brain during pregnancy are just as dramatic as those that occur during adolescence.

This explains why many women experience mood swings early in pregnancy.

So you can forgive Serena for not being as focused as usual at the Australian Open. However, this did not stop her from losing a single set.

Serena is not the first woman to take part in major sports competitions, expecting a child.

Runners on long distances often continue to participate in marathons for quite some time.

There are examples of pregnant athletes participating in Olympic Games, including competitions in shooting, curling, archery and dressage.

"For female athletes top level usually developed special diet and training regimen. Intense workouts in the eighth week should not affect the course of pregnancy in such athletes and in general in people accustomed to high loads,” explains Professor Janice Rymer from the British Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"In the first weeks, hormones can actually improve athletic performance as a woman naturally produces a little more steroids," says Janice Rymer.

Still, Serena Williams' Australian Open victory is a remarkable achievement: she sits at the very top of the sport, having won more Grand Slam titles than any other tennis player.

If her maternity leave lasts less than 12 months after giving birth this fall, she will be allowed to maintain her place in the world rankings.

On Monday, Serena will move up from second place to first again.

Nowadays, the Internet has grown into a machine that allows information to be disseminated at an unprecedented speed. Another property of the Network is that nothing disappears in it. Even if, for example, Nick Kyrgios writes a tweet again and then decides to delete it, then nothing will work out for him. The print screen of this message will never leave the Internet. It was these factors that helped make one photo from Snapchat a worldwide sensation on April 19th.

On this day Serena Williams suddenly shared a photo on her Snapchat. Formally, of course, she did not announce her pregnancy. But you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to draw the appropriate conclusion based on the appearance of your baby bump and the “20 weeks” signature. And also consider that she won her 23rd Grand Slam tournament while already in pregnancy.

In the blink of an eye, all news outlets trumpeted that Serena Williams was pregnant. But at the same time, the only source remained that same photograph. Soon even the WTA sent a congratulatory tweet to the American. But after some time, Serena decided to delete the photo from Snapchat, and the WTA, in turn, had to delete the tweet with congratulations.

Serena’s motivation for deleting the post remains unclear, given that her pregnancy is already a confirmed fact. Perhaps someone on her team asked to remove this image? It was too late anyway, as she was already trending on Twitter within half an hour of posting the photo. Or did she herself not expect that there would be such a resonance? I would like to believe that at some point we will learn the details of what happened from the American herself.

20 weeks on Sharapova's 30th birthday

But now we have already received confirmation, and immediately after the removal of the picture, the Internet was seething, giving birth to one theory after another. One of the most popular ones is that Serena just decided to make a joke by taking a photo after a hearty lunch. It is clear that April 1 is already behind us, but why is the American worse than Connor McGregor, who wrote on April 19 last year that he had finished his career. If you're not aware, the Irish MMA fighter's career is still far from over.

This date was also interesting because Maria Sharapova On this day she celebrated her 30th birthday. However, the American successfully drew all the attention to herself, occupying the headlines. Williams decided to announce her pregnancy on Sharapova’s birthday – a coincidence? Decide for yourself.

Information silence lasted for several hours. Some people have already lost faith that this is true, but in the end it was not a joke. American spokeswoman Kelly Bush Novak confirmed that the youngest Williams is expecting her first child in the fall.

At least with the future father there is no mystery. He is Alexis Ohanian- American businessman of Armenian origin, one of the founders of the social news site Reddit. Serena and Alexis got engaged late last year. So far, no official wedding date has been announced.

Serena plans a comeback

Shamil Tarpishchev commented on the news shortly after the photo appeared on Snapchat: “I think that he is unlikely to return to tennis after childbirth, given her age. We, of course, have seen examples of tennis players coming back and winning Grand Slam tournaments, but not at the age of 35. Serena has an advantage in physics, but after giving birth this will go away. The speed of the ball may remain the same, but the speed of movement will become much slower. My opinion is that he will not be able to return to his level after childbirth.”

However, according to Reuters, he plans to return to the WTA in 2018. IN this moment Victoria Azarenko preparing to return after the birth of her son. The Belarusian became a mother in December 2016, and planned her first tournament for July. If Serena follows the same schedule, she will be able to return approximately to Roland Garros 2018. Although here, of course, everything is individual. But Victoria will probably be able to give the American some advice on what awaits her.

What does Serena's pregnancy mean in tennis terms? The American will return to first place in the rankings on April 24. But, of course, she won't stay there long. At the most, she will remain the leader until the second week of May, when the points for the tournament in Rome, where she won in 2016, expire.

Considering that Angelique Kerber While she performs unconvincingly, other athletes have a chance to become a leader. The most realistic contender is Karolina Pliskova. The Czech has a chance to top the rankings already during the clay season. If we talk about longer-term prospects, then in the championship race next to Pliskova are Konta and Wozniacki. It’s too early to talk about their chances for first place, but taking into account Serena’s maternity leave, this opens up more opportunities for other tennis players in terms of gaining points at the Slams.

As for Serena’s prospects after giving birth, everything will depend on her. If she still loves tennis, she will find the motivation at 36 to return to the court and continue her career as a tennis mom.

Serena Williams, who will give her boyfriend Alexis Ohanian their first child, shines not only on the court. The 35-year-old tennis player walked the red carpet at the 2017 Met Gala. Founder social network Reddit accompanied his pregnant fiancée to a social event for the first time.

Bright way out

The first appearance of Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian in public as a couple turned out to be very impressive. Future parents came to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the annual Costume Institute Ball, which took place last night in New York, fully armed.

The sports star, who is in an interesting position, wore an emerald dress with a train, drapery and a deep neckline from the Versace collection, which was decorated with beads. The outfit emphasized feminine curves expectant mother and her impressive baby bump. Long diamond earrings, a ring and a massive bracelet completed Serena's glamorous look.

The IT businessman looked the part of his bride in a sharp black suit and bow tie as he posed for reporters at a photo call.

Just an accident

Williams' pregnancy became known last month. She herself posted a photo of herself in a swimsuit with the caption “20 weeks” on Snapchat. It later turned out that Serena accidentally pressed the wrong button and posted the photo on her feed. She found out about her mistake half an hour later, having received many congratulations on her phone.

Nowadays, the Internet has grown into a machine that allows information to be disseminated at an unprecedented speed. Another property of the Network is that nothing disappears in it. Even if, for example, Nick Kyrgios writes a tweet again and then decides to delete it, then nothing will work out for him. The print screen of this message will never leave the Internet. It was these factors that helped make one photo from Snapchat a worldwide sensation on April 19th.

On this day Serena Williams suddenly shared a photo on her Snapchat. Formally, of course, she did not announce her pregnancy. But you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to draw the appropriate conclusion based on the appearance of your baby bump and the “20 weeks” signature. And also consider that she won her 23rd Grand Slam tournament while already in pregnancy.

In the blink of an eye, all news outlets trumpeted that Serena Williams was pregnant. But at the same time, the only source remained that same photograph. Soon even the WTA sent a congratulatory tweet to the American. But after some time, Serena decided to delete the photo from Snapchat, and the WTA, in turn, had to delete the tweet with congratulations.

Serena’s motivation for deleting the post remains unclear, given that her pregnancy is already a confirmed fact. Perhaps someone on her team asked to remove this image? It was too late anyway, as she was already trending on Twitter within half an hour of posting the photo. Or did she herself not expect that there would be such a resonance? I would like to believe that at some point we will learn the details of what happened from the American herself.

20 weeks on Sharapova's 30th birthday

But now we have already received confirmation, and immediately after the removal of the picture, the Internet was seething, giving birth to one theory after another. One of the most popular ones is that Serena just decided to make a joke by taking a photo after a hearty lunch. It is clear that April 1 is already behind us, but why is the American worse than Connor McGregor, who wrote on April 19 last year that he had finished his career. If you're not aware, the Irish MMA fighter's career is still far from over.

This date was also interesting because Maria Sharapova On this day she celebrated her 30th birthday. However, the American successfully drew all the attention to herself, occupying the headlines. Williams decided to announce her pregnancy on Sharapova’s birthday – a coincidence? Decide for yourself.

Information silence lasted for several hours. Some people have already lost faith that this is true, but in the end it was not a joke. American spokeswoman Kelly Bush Novak confirmed that the youngest Williams is expecting her first child in the fall.

At least with the future father there is no mystery. He is Alexis Ohanian- American businessman of Armenian origin, one of the founders of the social news site Reddit. Serena and Alexis got engaged late last year. So far, no official wedding date has been announced.

Serena plans a comeback

Shamil Tarpishchev commented on the news shortly after the photo appeared on Snapchat: “I think that it is unlikely that she will return to tennis after giving birth, given her age. We, of course, have seen examples of tennis players coming back and winning Grand Slam tournaments, but not at the age of 35. Serena has an advantage in physics, but after giving birth this will go away. The speed of the ball may remain the same, but the speed of movement will become much slower. My opinion is that he will not be able to return to his level after childbirth.”

However, according to Reuters, he plans to return to the WTA in 2018. At the moment Victoria Azarenko preparing to return after the birth of her son. The Belarusian became a mother in December 2016, and planned her first tournament for July. If Serena follows the same schedule, she will be able to return approximately to Roland Garros 2018. Although here, of course, everything is individual. But Victoria will probably be able to give the American some advice on what awaits her.

What does Serena's pregnancy mean in tennis terms? The American will return to first place in the rankings on April 24. But, of course, she won't stay there long. At the most, she will remain the leader until the second week of May, when the points for the tournament in Rome, where she won in 2016, expire.

Considering that Angelique Kerber While she performs unconvincingly, other athletes have a chance to become a leader. The most realistic contender is Karolina Pliskova. The Czech has a chance to top the rankings already during the clay season. If we talk about longer-term prospects, then in the championship race next to Pliskova are Konta and Wozniacki. It’s too early to talk about their chances for first place, but taking into account Serena’s maternity leave, this opens up more opportunities for other tennis players in terms of gaining points at the Slams.

As for Serena’s prospects after giving birth, everything will depend on her. If she still loves tennis, she will find the motivation at 36 to return to the court and continue her career as a tennis mom.

The day before yesterday we published a note about Serena Williams' return to big sport, which she dedicated to all women who have experienced difficult pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Many people ask what the meaning of her gesture is. It's about letting the women of the world know that they are strong, they are not alone, they are incredibly badass. Williams recently gave a long interview to Harper's Bazaar magazine, in which she spoke about the difficulties she encountered in her journey as a mother. We decided to collect a few quotes from the athlete about her parenting experience - not only from this interview, but also from her other speeches.

About the photo in a yellow swimsuit (thanks to which everyone found out that she was pregnant): “I wasn’t going to show it to anyone. I just took photos once a week to keep a chronicle of my pregnancy. But I clicked the wrong button and posted the photo. Usually no one calls me much, but half an hour later, when I looked at the phone screen, I saw that I had four missed calls. And I was like: damn! But it’s okay, I was still going to tell everyone in five or six days, so everything is fine.”

About the birth of a daughter: “They put it on my chest and it was wonderful. And then everything went wrong."

About postpartum complications: “I was in terrible pain. They cut me open the first time to get the baby out. And then a second time, because I developed a hematoma. So now I have a nasty scar.<…>But it was worth it. Olympia is wonderful, and if I had to do it all again, I would do it.”

About the first days after cesarean: “I didn’t even expect it to be so terrible - I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t even turn on my side in bed. I also couldn’t get to the toilet on my own. My husband literally carried me in his arms. I didn't expect that from one of the most strong athletes in the world I will turn into a person who cannot get out of bed without help.”

About the birth experience: “Every mother, regardless of race or background, deserves a healthy pregnancy and an easy birth. I really want all women to have the opportunity to have the best birth experience possible. Mine turned out to be far from the best, but it is mine, and I am grateful for it and glad that everything happened this way. I have become stronger. And I admire women - all of them, whether they have children or not - even more than before. We are strong!

ABOUT postpartum period : “Sometimes I think I’m still coming to my senses. People should talk more and more often about the postpartum period, because it's like a continuation of pregnancy, the fourth trimester."

About difficulties at the initial stage of motherhood: “Eternal despair, which for some reason they don’t really talk about. Now your child starts crying, and you don’t understand what to do - and you fall into despair.”

About perfectionism: “One day Olympia cried, I went to look for a bottle and couldn’t. And then I started crying. Because I felt like a bad mother. And I want to be an ideal mother for her.”

About knowledge dissemination:“I'm always busy - baby, tennis, my fashion line. But I try to find time to spread information - to talk or write something about pregnancy and childbirth. I want people to have access to useful information, so I try to draw attention to certain problems that women face during pregnancy.”

About plans for a second child: "Yes, I want. I tell everyone that if I didn’t work now, I would definitely be pregnant by now.”