Serena Williams

Serena Williams has opened up about the personal sacrifices that have come with her career, saying it has come at a “big cost.”

The 43-year-old tennis icon - who has won 23 Grand Slam titles and held the world number-one ranking in women’s singles - has also built a successful business empire, including her WYN Beauty makeup line. But despite her achievements, Williams admits she’s spent her life weighing how her professional decisions affect her personal relationships.

The Florida-based athlete, who shares daughters Alexis, seven, and Adira, 18 months with husband Alexis Ohanian, said of her success: “Yeah, it definitely costs a lot. “I’m here [in California] without my kids, and that’s a big cost for me because I spend a lot of time with my children, and they’re very attached to me, which a part of me loves. So, it’s always some cost.”

Williams, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, reflected on how much she’s had to consider the long-term trade-offs of her career choices.

“My whole life I’ve had to kind of weigh, like, ‘If I wanna win a championship, well what is that going to cost me?’” she said.

“It’s going to cost me time with my family, it’s going to cost me friends, it’s going to cost me relationships.

“And they’re very expensive. You have to decide if it’s worth it for you.”