Serena Williams Laments That Leaving Tennis ‘Hasn’t Been Easy’: 'I Miss Me'

The 23-time Grand Slam champion is now championing new business ventures while being a mom of two

• Serena Williams says stepping away from tennis "hasn't been easy"

• The 23-time Grand Slam champion spoke about her life off the court in an interview on Today with Hoda & Jenna on Thursday

• Williams shared that she recently enjoyed watching LSU's Angel Reese play in the Elite Eight

Serena Williams is adjusting to life after tennis.

The mother of two — who famously shared that she was “evolving away” from the sport following her appearance at the US Open in September 2022, but never officially retired — said Thursday that being away from the game “hasn’t been easy.”

“It was all good when I was pregnant and now that I’m not anymore I’m like, ‘Ohhh I miss it so much!’ “ the 23-time Grand Slam champion said on Today with Hoda & Jenna.

After giving birth to her second daughter with husband Alexis Ohanian last August, the 42-year-old athlete has had time to contemplate her next move off the court, and has kept busy as a venture capitalist, investing in new companies.

But tennis remains her “first love,” she revealed.

Related: Serena Williams Shares Adorable Photo of Daughter Olympia 'Hard at Work' Taking Care of 'Baby Sis' Adira

“I’m doing so many things with different businesses,” Williams said. “But tennis obviously was my first love and it will always be my first love and it is something I will always be so passionate about.”

She added, “I will never love anything as much as tennis, 'cause it’s like, you’re in the front of the world and you don’t even realize it because there’s so much pressure and there’s so much stress. But you’re walking out on center court every day and they’re there to see you. And there’s no adrenaline like that.”

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Another aspect to the game which the tennis icon looks back on fondly is its fashion.

“Everybody misses you,” Kotb told her, in part regarding Williams’ iconic outfits on the court.

“I miss me too!” Williams replied. “I miss the outfits I’m like, ‘Oh man. I want to wear these skirts again!’ But yeah, it’s not easy, I’m going to be honest. I’m not going to sit here and be, ‘Oh, it’s easy.’ No, it’s hard as, I don’t know how. But I still train and I still love it and I still get around and I still have fun.”

Related: Serena Williams Gets Real Trying on Too-Tight Valentino Skirt: 'Houston, We Got a Problem'

And while Williams has influenced a generation of young girls in tennis, her reach has also extended across sports.

After she was told that LSU star Angel Reese referred to her as a “guiding light,” Williams lit up.

“Yeah, well, seeing that was obviously really amazing,” she said. “First of all, I watched her [in the Elite Eight] and I loved her outfit, that was the first thing I saw. I was like, ‘Oh, I had an outfit like that too!’ "

She added, “It’s super-exciting to hear that and just inspire women in general and inspire this whole group of amazing, beautiful athletes that can look beautiful on their field, on the court and on the everything, and still be fierce. That’s what I was always about — how I can look beautiful and still be fierce at the same time.”

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