Serena doesn´t want daughter to follow in her footsteps

LONDON: Serena Williams´ baby has just taken her first steps at Wimbledon, but the seven-time champion doesn´t want daughter Olympia to follow in her path on the tennis court.

Williams gave birth in September and has brought Olympia with her to Wimbledon.

The 36-year-old posted social media footage of herself with Olympia on Wimbledon´s famous Centre Court before the tournament started.

Then over the weekend, Serena revealed she had missed Olympia walking for the first time while she was away at a practice session.

Asked if she would like Olympia to follow in her footsteps when she grows up, the American star made it clear she would prefer her daughter to go in a different direction.

"I would hope she doesn´t play tennis. It´s a lot of work. A lot," she said.

"Plus I don´t want her to have pressure from what I did, people talking about ´are you going to be able to do as good as your mom?´. I don´t want her to have that."

Williams said her sister Venus -- a five-time Wimbledon champion -- had already offered to coach Olympia if she wants to play tennis.

But Serena isn´t bowled over by the idea of parenting a tennis prodigy in the same way her father Richard did for her and Venus.

"Olympia is not playing tennis, unless of course she wants to. Then I´m going to help her. But I´m not sure if I´m a great coach," she said.

"I could be a good mental coach. In terms of a tennis coach, I don´t know if I -- clearly I don´t know if I have patience.

"I don´t understand how they did it. I could not go out, as much as I love her, I don´t think I could do it every single day like my dad did."