Serena Williams Plays First Tennis Match Since Giving Birth

The pro athlete has made her highly anticipated return to the tennis court.

According to ESPN, Serena Williams' comeback match following her recent pregnancy was marred by a loss against Latvian player Jelena Ostapenko at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017. Ostapenko won the first game 6-2, while Williams caught up in the second, winning 6-3. However, Ostapenko broke their tie in the third, ultimately winning 10-5.

Despite her loss, Williams, 36, felt good about her performance. "Motherhood is phenomenal," she told The Guardian. "I was a little worried out there and I looked at my camp and I was like 'Is Olympia OK?' But it's really good."

"I'm excited, it's good to be back on the court. This was such a good time for me," she added."It's my first time playing in Abu Dhabi so thank you guys for the support. First matches back are always super incredibly hard, especially after having a baby but it was great, I'm glad I could do it here."

As Nicki Swift previously reported, the appearance marked Williams' first match after she and her Reddit co-founder husband, Alexis Ohanian, 34, welcomed their daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., on Sept. 1, 2017. 

Ohanian took to Instagram to show his support from the stands, proudly captioning a snapshot of Williams greeting fans with, "Mama is back in the office." 

Meanwhile, the day before the match, Williams gave fans an inside look at her personal and professional achievements when she shared her top 10 moments of 2017. "This year has been amazing for me," she wrote in the post.

The new mom famously took time off from tennis due to her pregnancy but had initially planned her official return in January 2018. She last played professionally in January 2017, beating her sister Venus Williams at the Women's Singles Match at the 2017 Australian Open. She was eight weeks pregnant at the time.

As The Guardian noted, Williams has already registered for the next Australian Open, which begins on Jan. 15, 2018, at Melbourne Park.

While we wait to watch Williams hit the tennis court again, read up on everything you need to know about her husband.