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Serena Williams Revealed She Was Terrified of Getting Pregnant, Has Delivery Fears

Serena Williams attends the 'Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between' Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City.
Serena Williams attends the ‘Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between’ Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. Michael Stewart/WireImage

Serena Williams isn’t finding out the sex of her baby with fiance Alexis Ohanian until she gives birth, but Williams has a major hunch that it’s a girl.

“Alexis thinks we’re having a boy, but I have a strong suspicion that it’s a girl,” the tennis champ, 35, told Vogue in an interview on August 15. “Two weeks after we found out, I played the Australian Open. I told Alexis it has to be a girl because there I was playing in 100-degree weather, and that baby never gave me any trouble. Ride or die. Women are tough that way.”

Related: Celebrity Pregnancies

Williams used to be terrified of getting pregnant after a 2011 hospitalization with bilateral pulmonary embolisms following foot surgery, since being pregnant increases the chance of blood clots, and she now has to inject herself daily with anticoagulants. “But once I found out, something happened that surprised me,” the 23-time grand slam champ explains to Vogue. “I became really calm. I thought, You have to win, but you’re allowed to lose, because you have something to look forward to.”

The mom to be, who is eights months along, admits she’s scared to deliver. “I’m nervous about childbirth,” Williams shared. “I’m not a spring chicken. The one thing I really want is an epidural, which I know a lot of people are against, but I’ve had surgeries galore, and I don’t need to experience any more pain if I can avoid it. But the biggest thing is that I don’t really think I’m a baby person. Not yet. That’s something I have to work on. I’m so used to me-me-me, taking care of my health, my body, my career.”

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian attends "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala - Arrivals at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City.
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian attends “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala – Arrivals at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images

Related: Famous Celebrity Pregnancies: Baby Bump Hall of Fame

But her friend, actress Meghan Markle, disagrees, saying Williams will be an ace at motherhood. “She will be an amazing mom,” the Suits actress told Vogue. “The very best, because she is so attuned to balancing strength and sensitivity. Plus, given that she is pretty epic at karaoke, I think she’ll put her signature Serena spin on singing lullabies for the baby. I can’t wait for that!”

Related: Celebrity Babies of 2017

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