Serena's Still Finding New Motherhood Is Taxing Her Day Job

If anything's being underscored in Serena Williams' past two tournaments, it's the age-old question:

How in the name of June Cleaver can mothers be everything to everybody all the time?

Maybe that's why they've got one day each year dedicated as a celebration to them.

No, not Mother's Day. Labor Day.

 

OK, so Serena goes the natural route because she does stuff the right way, but you've gotta wonder if, sometimes, she just wishes.

The challenges began during childbirth on 1 Sep 17, when complications happened in the midst of a Caesarian. She was bedridden for six weeks. Then, damn near any new mom will confirm there is such a thing as post-natal depression, so Serena dealt with that while preparing to get back on the WTA circuit.

 

All things considered, it's amazing she even got to Wimbledon, much less made it to the title match.

Soldiering on, Serena started prepping for the US Open, but that got derailed in the Silicon Valley Classic. It's then that she opened up about her frustrations:

 

What's real is this: after skipping the Rogers Cup so she could pull herself together, Serena attempted to get back on track at the Cincinnati Open.

That didn't work, either. The former WTA No 1 gave battle against Petra Kvitová but fell -- 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 -- in the second round:

 

Unfortunately, it was more than her life being pulled every which way that surely contributed to the loss.

Word has it she learned before the match her half-sister's killer had just been released on parole. News like that, if verified, clearly weighed heavily.

Through it all, Serena's path to the next Slam is mapped. Now is no time to waver.