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Serena Williams Nearly Freaked Out When She Heard Her Daughter Coughing During a Match

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Whether you're spending quality time with the kids or extremely busy with work, a mother's instincts never fail to kick in—and Serena Williams knows this all too well. 

The tennis player, 38, revealed that during her recent tennis match in Lexington, KY, she nearly freaked out when she thought she heard her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. cough. The two-year old, who showed her support from the stands with her dad, Alexis Ohanian, was eating grapes at the time. And understandably, the mere thought of her daughter choking on fruit was enough to get Williams's attention.

She said, “I didn’t even look over there. I think I heard her cough though. I know my baby’s cough. She was drinking and she was eating grapes. And I’m then like, ‘Oh my gosh. Is she chewing? Make sure you chew.'” 

We imagine that the tennis star was tempted to drop everything and check on her little girl, especially since whole grapes are considered a choking hazard for little ones. But since she was in the middle of a pretty intense game, she gave her husband a quick glance before returning to the match.

She continued, “I didn’t look over there but I kind of flashed my husband a look like make sure she’s chewing her grapes because she shouldn’t be coughing while she’s eating grapes. That’s the new mom in me and it’s good. It was good to see her, even briefly.”

Though Williams was clearly concerned about her daughter, it certainly didn't affect her skills on the court. She wound up beating her opponent Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the the Top Seed Open. And for round two, she’ll be playing against her older sister, Venus Williams.

Kudos to Williams for killing it on the court and as a full-time mom!

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