Serena Williams’ husband had four billboards with their baby daughter’s face on them put up to mark her return to competitive tennis.
The 36-year-old professional player was hailed the "Greatest Momma Of All Time" by her spouse Alexis Ohanian, who had the words spelled out on each poster in Palm Springs, California, where Serena will compete at the BNP Paribas Tournament next week.
Her spouse captioned the photo of the billboards on Instagram and Twitter: "These just went up on alongside I-10 into Palm Springs. @olympiaohanian & I wanted to welcome her back to tennis. Designed them myself, with some help from Jr. #GMOAT (sic)"
The gesture made Serena burst into tears of joy.
Commenting on the photos on Instagram, she wrote back: "Literally am crying … This is so sweet. I love you. (sic)"
It will be the tennis ace’s first game since she "almost died" giving birth to the couple’s daughter, Olympia, after she suffered small blood clots on her lungs on September 1, when her C-section wound opened after intense coughing spells.
Serena was due to return to the tennis court at the Australian Open – which she won last year – last month, but withdrew from the tournament 12 days beforehand after playing in an exhibition match.
Speaking recently about the complications she faced when giving birth, she said: "I almost died after giving birth to my daughter, Olympia. Yet I consider myself fortunate. While I had a pretty easy pregnancy, my daughter was born by emergency C-section after her heart rate dropped dramatically during contractions. The surgery went smoothly. Before I knew it, Olympia was in my arms. It was the most amazing feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life. But what followed just 24 hours after giving birth were six days of uncertainty."
The sports champion thanked her "incredible medical team" for saving her life.
She said: "I am so grateful I had access to such an incredible medical team of doctors and nurses at a hospital with state-of-the-art equipment. They knew exactly how to handle this complicated turn of events. If it weren’t for their professional care, I wouldn’t be here today."
Serena Williams surprised by billboards
