Serena joins an elite list of mums who have returned to their various sports at the very top of their game
Friday 13 July 2018 14:56, UK
Serena Williams will bid for an eighth Wimbledon singles title on Saturday having powered back to the top of tennis barely 10 months after becoming a mother.
The 36-year-old American, who experienced life-threatening complications after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr last September, faces Angelique Kerber in the Ladies' final on Saturday.
Here, we look at six other mothers who have returned to top-level sport.
The Belgian's professional tennis career appeared to be over, having been forced to retire at the age of 23 through injury and after giving birth to daughter Jada. However, Clijsters completed a remarkable sporting comeback to win the 2009 US Open just 18 months after giving birth - becoming the first mother to win a Grand Slam singles title since Evonne Goolagong in 1980. She retained her title 12 months later before retiring in 2012 and has since had two more children.
Court won 21 Grand Slam singles titles before taking time out in 1971 and 1972 for the birth of her first child, son Daniel. In 1973 she triumphed at the Australian, French and US Opens. She had a daughter, Marika, in 1974 and again returned to the tour, but there would be no more Grand Slam trophy success. The Australian's 24 singles majors remains a record, with Williams one behind.
The 2012 Olympic heptathlon champion missed the Commonwealth Games in 2014 as she gave birth to her son Reggie. She returned the following year and won a world title before adding Olympic silver to her collection in Rio and then retiring, and has since added daughter Olivia to her family.
Pavey produced an inspirational performance to become the oldest female European champion in 2014 at the age of 40, winning 10,000 metres gold in front of her 11-month-old daughter. Just 10 days earlier, the four-time Olympian put on one of the displays of the Commonwealth Games to secure bronze in the 5,000m. In Rio, aged 42, the mother-of-two became the first British track athlete to compete in five Olympics.
Storey had won 11 Paralympic gold medals when she gave birth to her daughter Louisa Marie in 2013. The following year she won four para-cycling world titles before she became Britain's most successful female Paralympian by adding another three golds to her collection in Rio. She has since given birth to son Charlie and has not called time on her career yet.
The former BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner made a victorious return to running after the January 2007 birth of daughter Isla. Radcliffe went on to win the New York Marathon less than 10 months later, before triumphing in the race again in 2008. She had a second child in 2010.
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Our next tennis action comes from the German Open in Hamburg. Watch the action live on Sky Sports Arena from Monday, July 23 from 10am.
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