Tennis icon Serena Williams, pictured waving to the crowd after her final career loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 U.S. Open, has endured two pulmonary embolisms—one in 2011 and another in 2017 following the birth of her first child. She returned to competition after each episode but has acknowledged the need for lifelong vigilance in detecting blood clots early.
A heartfelt Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible mothers out there.
In the world of sports, the athletes we have come to adore would not be the superstars they are today without the women who raised them. At the same time, there have been some truly remarkable women who are both mothers and competitors in the sports arena. Let’s take a closer look at the greatest sports mothers of all time.
Serena Williams
Why not start with the greatest of all time? Williams famously won the 2017 Australian Open while eight to nine weeks pregnant with her daughter, Olympia—a fitting name for the child of an athlete with four Olympic gold medals.
In that 2017 Australian Open, Williams defeated her sister Venus Williams in the final and called it the greatest achievement of her career. She did not drop a single set, making it one of the most dominant victories in her storied career. Williams discovered she was pregnant just days before the tournament began. Even under that kind of pressure, she managed to dominate the competition. American tennis may never see another phenom like Williams, so we should cherish this story and her career whenever we can.
Gloria James
It is easy to forget, given LeBron James’s greatness on the court, how humble his beginnings truly were. Gloria gave birth to LeBron at age 16 as a single mother in Akron, Ohio. The two faced unstable housing and the immense pressure of raising a child at such a young age. Gloria was not focused on molding the greatest basketball player ever—she was simply trying to survive with her new son.
During LeBron’s first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Gloria became a fixture in the Cleveland area, appearing courtside at games and exchanging words with opposing teams. Today, she serves as vice president of the LeBron James Family Foundation and remains heavily involved in her son’s charitable efforts. She still has a son playing in the NBA, and a grandson playing alongside him. Pretty impressive.
Wanda Durant
Kevin Durant once called his mother the real MVP, and for good reason. Wanda Durant was also a single mother who had to navigate raising a son who would become one of the purest scorers in basketball history.
Wanda gained widespread attention during Kevin’s acceptance speech for the 2014 NBA MVP award. He credited her with keeping them off the streets, providing food and clothing, and working tirelessly to keep the family going. “You went to sleep hungry,” Durant said. “You sacrificed for us.” At the end of the day, what great mother wouldn’t?
