Tennis legend Serena Williams has finally understood what it is like to be in her mother's shoes.
The new mom, who gave birth to her first child, daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. earlier this month, wrote an endearing letter to her mother, Oracene Price, about what it has been like to see life through her point of view.
Posting the link to the Reddit open letter on her Twitter handle on Wednesday, Serena wrote “Letter to my mom” and with it was a picture of herself and her baby daughter Alexis Olympia.
Serena began the letter by saying, "Dear Mom, You are one of the strongest women I know. I was looking at my daughter (OMG, yes, I have a daughter ) and she has my arms and legs! My exact same strong, muscular, powerful, sensational arms and body. I don't know how I would react if she has to go through what I've gone through since I was a 15 year old and even to this day."
In the letter, Williams recalled the times she was likened to a man because of her strong stature or false accusations that her performance on the court was the result of drugs.
The letter continued, "I've been called man because I appeared outwardly strong. It has been said that that I use drugs (No, I have always had far too much integrity to behave dishonestly in order to gain an advantage). It has been said I don't belong in Women's sports, that I belong in Men's, because I look stronger than many other women do."
"But mom, I'm not sure how you did not go off on every single reporter, person, announcer and quite frankly, hater, who was too ignorant to understand the power of a black woman," she added.
Before concluding, the tennis ace had a few compliments for the special woman in her life.
She wrote, "You are so classy, I only wish I could take your lead. I am trying, though, and God is not done with me yet. I have a LONG way to go, but thank you. Thank you for being the role model I needed to endure all the hardships that I now regard as a challenge - ones that I enjoy. I hope to teach my baby Alexis Olympia the same, and have the same fortitude you have had."
The former world number one concluded by writing, "Your youngest of five, Serena."
