In a dual-angle Instagram post on Monday, the pregnant tennis pro showcased her evolving body with the help of the shrouding power of a black dress and strategically angled photography.
“CAUTION: Things are not always how they appear,” Williams wrote, sharing a frontal image of herself in the figure-hugging gown while posing in front of an elaborate floral event setup. Did she look pregnant in that shot? Nope. But she knows that and invited followers to swipe to the next photo for an anatomical show-and-tell.
“I am Seriously trying to figure out if the baby is in the front or….back. … slide right,” the 41-year-old added, posting a side view of her look in the second photo, which showcased the silhouette of her pronounced middle and curved backside.
Referring to their 5-year-old firstborn in the comments section, Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, wrote: “This kid somehow kicks more than Olympia. It’s everywhere”
Several days prior, Williams shared, “Being confident is not always easy … especially taking pics and being pregnant.” In an effort to squash negative commentary, the tennis star shared several selfies along with an empowering caption about pushing back.
“Sometimes people close to you will try to take your joy – but it’s important to remember who you are and never be afraid to shine,” she wrote.
The Compton-bred superstar and the Reddit co-founder announced Williams’ second pregnancy earlier this month, confirming the news by debuting her growing belly at the Met Gala. The Grand Slam champion has been in Europe for some time, and attended Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour concert in France last Friday before making her way to Italy,
Williams and Ohanian welcomed Olympia in September 2017, two months prior to their nuptials in New Orleans. The athlete — who was two months pregnant when she won the Australian Open in 2017 — later shared that she gave birth to her daughter by emergency C-section and survived multiple postpartum complications and surgeries after the baby arrived. The revelations underscored the high maternal mortality rate among Black women in the United States.
In August, the Olympic gold medalist penned an essay for Vogue explaining her 2022 decision to step away from sports to focus on expanding her family.
“Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair,” Williams wrote at the time. She said that she did not want to be pregnant again while competing and that she needs to to be “two feet into tennis or two feet out.”