Serena Williams: Having a baby will make a 'real woman'

Serena Williams thinks her baby will make her a "real woman", and admits she won't watch birthing videos before going through the process herself.

The 35-year-old tennis professional is set to welcome her first child - whom she has with her fiancé and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian - into the world in September, and has said she has "so much respect" for mothers and can't wait to become one herself in just one month's time.

She said: "I have so much respect for so many women [for giving birth]. I am about to be a real woman now, you know? It's going to be something incredibly impressive to go through."

And Serena refuses to watch videos on giving birth, as she thinks seeing other women go through the process will make it "worse" for her.

She added: "I don't think watching birthing videos helps. I actually think it makes it worse. Having a baby, nothing is guaranteed."

The tennis superstar also expressed concerns about how giving birth might affect her game on the court, but she's sure the process will give her "more strength and confidence".

Speaking to Australian newspaper The Herald Sun's Stellar magazine, Serena said: "That's the scariest thing. [But] I think [giving birth] will give me more strength, if that's possible, and a lot more confidence. I feel like I will be ready for anything."

Meanwhile, although she is almost at the end of her pregnancy, it was recently reported that Serena "loves the feeling" of carrying a baby.

A source said: "Serena loves the feeling of being pregnant and having a baby grow in her belly. This is such a special time in her life and such a blessing."

The sports star reportedly "can't wait" to give birth, and the insider added that she's received "so much support" from 34-year-old Alexis.

They said: "She has so much support from her man, as well as all her friends that experienced being pregnant. She can't wait to be a mother."

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.