Tennis icon Serena Williams has recently begun sharing insights into the realities of motherhood, including the myriad of emotions it entails. In a recent interview with Insider, Williams disclosed the ongoing challenge of balancing her roles as a hands-on parent, a world-renowned athlete, and a businesswoman.

Expressing her struggles with mom guilt, Williams admitted feeling a sense of remorse when attending to personal pursuits without her daughter. She confessed uncertainty about her effectiveness as a mother and questioned whether her approach was successful, emphasizing her deeply involved parenting style, a trait inherited from her own upbringing.

Williams, whose daughter Olympia is now four years old, also opened up about her traumatic childbirth experience, a harrowing ordeal that necessitated four surgeries.

Mom guilt, a widely recognized phenomenon, is characterized by the feeling of falling short of societal expectations of being a “good mother,” often exacerbated by the perceived inability to adequately balance professional and parental responsibilities. This phenomenon predominantly affects women due to their historical role as primary caregivers. Research suggests that mothers, compared to fathers, experience significantly higher levels of guilt regarding work-family balance.

For many mothers, including high-profile figures like Williams, achieving a harmonious blend of career and personal life remains an ongoing struggle. Williams has highlighted the societal pressure on mothers to seamlessly manage multiple priorities, acknowledging that failing to strike this balance can lead to tension within relationships, families, workplaces, and internally. This theme of balancing professional and personal obligations is one Williams has touched on previously, acknowledging the mental and physical exhaustion that accompanies fulfilling multiple roles.

“Working and being a mom is not easy. 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,” Williams wrote in an Instagram post last February, reflecting the ongoing journey of navigating the demands of motherhood and career.