Name an unsung hero walking among us every day without most of us knowing: mothers. They don’t wear capes, they don’t need recognition, they only need hugs, kisses, and I love you’s to run, and they don’t want something in return for what they do.

Professional tennis player Serena Williams knows that this is a-hundred-percent true. She may be best known for her astounding 23 Grand Slam awards, fashion line, and activism, but she is also a mother to Alexis Olympia, whom she shares with husband Alexis Ohanian.

Let’s be real: before her bundle of joy arrived, Serena already had a lot of things to juggle. But as it turns out, all these made her value motherhood. The athlete recently talked with Anna Wintour during the New York Fashion Week where her latest jet-set themed collection from her S by Serena line was showcased and she opened up about how her daughter greatly affected her private life and work.

Serena said that being a leader is as important as being a mother because she wants Olympia to look up to her and her actions. This is what the 38-year-old doting parent wishes to accomplish and also because she aims to inspire the next generation.

The fashion designer also underlined the importance of recognizing working moms and their sacrifices to balance everything out. Serena regards these people as her superheroes after having been in the same shoe herself, therefore, understanding their struggles.

She noted how moms with regular 9-to-5 jobs, which are usually demanding, must go back to work less than a month after delivery. Serena shared that although she is lucky enough not to have endeavors that require her to do that, she is also devoted to supporting women in different situations.

Serena now truly grasps the feeling of working women who must provide for their families and at the same time care for them. She finally understood this when she became a mother, who casually experiences mom guilt whenever she leaves Olympia for work.

The tennis superstar gave birth to her child in 2017, but the journey wasn’t smooth-sailing. She had to stay at home for six weeks after her cesarean section, and there were even more complications after that.

Her C-section wound opened due to excessive coughing because of embolism so she had to go back for surgery. Then, doctors found she had a hematoma in her stomach so she had to undergo a procedure to help stop the blood from reaching her lungs.