Queen Serena: The power and the glory ! #HarpersbazaarUK.

‘Oh God, I’ll never be a size 4! Why would I want to do that, and be that? This is me, and this is my weapon and machine.

“But I love that I said that, because I can understand. I can show Olympia that I struggled, but now I’m happy with who I am and what I am and what I look like… Olympia was born and she had my arms, and instead of being sad and fearful about what people would say about her, I was just so happy.’

I knew I was having a girl, because when I was playing tennis in the [Australian Open] tournament, I didn’t have one day of morning sickness, no symptoms. Australia is really hot, some days can be over 40 degrees, which is insane, but she never complained. I said to Alexis, “This is a girl. Only a woman can be this strong.’

‘If I wasn’t playing tennis, I’d be pregnant right now – sorry, I’m one of those women. I’ve been injured so many times, and played on it, my body is used to adjusting.’

‘I knew I wasn’t going to be able to have her naturally, it was like this intuition. I just kept thinking, “There is no way it’s going to happen”, and it didn’t.’

Although Serena has installed the Australian Open cup on Olympia’s bedroom wall – ‘I couldn’t have done it without her, it’s her win’ – ‘I don’t know any player who would say they want their kid to play tennis,’.

‘Outside of the Mandarin tutor and the French tutor, which I’m really serious about, and of course ballet, I have no dreams for her,’ she says, laughing. ‘I want to let her do whatever she wants to do, as long as it’s positive. Always try to be an addition to society, not a subtraction.’

‘I’m the most girlie out of all the sisters”

“It was hard for me. People would say I was born a guy, all because of my arms, or because I’m strong. I was different toVenus: she was thin and tall and beautiful, and I am strong and muscular – and beautiful, but, you know, it was just totally different.’

Read more here at Harpers Bazaar UK