Serena Williams on how freezing eggs in her 20s eased stress

Serena Williams, at 44, reflects that freezing her eggs in her twenties was a well-judged decision.

During a conversation with Michelle Obama on a live broadcast of the "IMO" podcast, unveiled on Wednesday, the tennis champion shared insights into her fertility journey.

"I tell all my friends of age, freeze your eggs. Because I just feel like that is the best thing that you can do as a woman, as you decide to go on this journey," Williams advised.

The sports star explained that this choice enabled her to focus on her work without family pressures.

"I froze my eggs. And I felt like once I did it, because I was still playing professional tennis, and I felt I wasn't ready to stop, and I wanted to keep going, and it just wasn't time," Williams said. "And then all of a sudden, all this pressure came off of my shoulders. Like it was just, all this weight just fell off my shoulders once I did that."

Since adopting this approach, Williams has been encouraging "everyone to consider it."

"I was like 27, 28, so it was a really good time to do it. And also, someone told me to do it, so I always felt like it was really important for me to pay that forward," she remarked.

Developments in technology reassured Williams about having alternatives.

She believes that discussing her journey openly can assist others in exploring fertility options.

"Even if you get married later, you can still use those eggs with your husband,," she mentioned. "You just have so many more opportunities and options, and so, I don't know, for me, I was really happy that I did it."

In September 2017, Williams and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian welcomed their daughter, Olympia, marking the occasion when Williams was 35. The couple tied the knot later that same year, and their second daughter, Adira, was born in 2023.

Though Williams doesn't adhere to a strict parenting style, she has a clear vision for bringing up her daughters.

"As organized as I am in my life, like to a point where everything is labeled, my parenting skills are different," she elaborated.

Her priority is being present and the best possible mother. "Everything is around my kids," Williams expressed.

"I want to raise my children. I'm a person that's raising my kids, and that's teaching them how I want them to live and how I want them to be," she added.

Williams isn't alone in discussing egg freezing.

In November 2022, Jennifer Aniston expressed regret for not being encouraged to freeze her eggs at a younger age.

"I was throwing everything at it. I would've given anything if someone had said to me, 'Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favor.' You just don't think it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed," Aniston reflected.

In March 2023, Priyanka Chopra shared that freezing her eggs in her early thirties brought a sense of liberation.

"I could continue on an ambitious warpath that I wanted to achieve. I wanted to get to a certain place in my career. And I also hadn't met the person I wanted to have children with or I didn't see that. That's anxiety-inducing," she stated.