Serena Williams helped me understand motherhood – Venus Williams

Family lessons. Venus Williams revealed that her little sister, Serena Williams, helped her understand some of the “misconceptions” of motherhood.

The tennis superstar opened about family life with Serena while chatting exclusively with Us Weekly on Tuesday, October 15.

“What I admire most about her is how dedicated she is, and if I ever become a mom, she showed me how to do it,” Venus, 39, gushed about Serena, 38, who welcomed daughter Alexis Olympia, 2, in 2017. “I think I had these misconceptions that were completely wrong. And, incidentally, my mom told me they were wrong — but I don’t think you always listen to your mom.”

She continued, “I wouldn’t have been a good mom. So, I’m seeing Serena — the amount of time that she gives her daughter and how close they are, and how much they love each other and how much the daughter loves her. It’s definitely something to aspire to. So, she sent me on the straight and narrow.”

Venus may not have any children of her own yet, but she loves being an aunt to her niece, who goes by the name Olympia. The four-time Olympic gold medalist shared that she and the adorable toddler often spend hours of quality time together.

Venus also wants to “teach her tennis because I actually love teaching,” although whether or not Olympia becomes a professional athlete “would be her choice.”

Venus Williams helps launch the Clorox Cold and Flu campaign on Tuesday October 15, 2019 in New York City. Andrew Kelly/AP Images for Clorox

“Honestly, kids love to play, so that’s the best thing you can do. She loves to play,” Venus dished. “I just got back from China, and I was at the house and I was up early with her, and we just played for hours. She tricks me [in] to doing things that I’m not supposed to do for her. You have to watch everything you do because she spots it and you’re like, ‘Oh no, she can’t forget about this, none of the other.’ So, it’s pretty fun.”

Venus’ close relationship with Olympia and her focus on healthy living (she adopted a vegan diet in 2011) inspired her to partner with Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes.

“We’re wiping down all of the surfaces,” she explained about her visits with the little girl. “The hard part though is if you do get sick and you’re like, ‘Oh man, I can’t go see the baby,’ and you put yourself in quarantine. But you’re just like, ‘FaceTime me please.’”

Venus added, “Obviously, it’s very important for me to stay healthy because my job requires that you are healthy. So, how I do that is, I just keep wipes everywhere. In [my] carry on, in my dog bag and my racket bag, and that covers all the bases. The racket bag is always with me, whether I’m on-site or in the room. Also, the dog is always with me. So, I always have my wipes.”

With reporting by Marc Lupo.