Serena Williams Shares How She Teaches Her Daughters Body Positivity (Exclusive)

The athlete and husband Alexis Ohanian are parents to daughters Olympia, 6, and Adira, born last summer.

Serena Williams has a very simple, and yet incredibly effective, way to promote body positivity: paying it forward with a chorus of compliments.

Speaking to ET's Rachel Smith in New York City at the launch of the tennis legend's makeup line aptly dubbed Wyn Beauty, Williams, 42, opened up about how she fosters body positivity with her two young daughters -- Olympia, 6, and Adira, 7 months, both of whom she welcomed with her husband, Alexis Ohanian.

"For me, it's super important for them to love who they are and whatever they look like," the 23-time major singles champion tells ET. "I also foster that positivity by encouraging them to give others compliments, especially other girls compliments. So if I see a girl in their class, I'm like, 'Oh, she looks pretty, right?' She's like, 'Yeah, I like her hair.' I'm like, 'I like her hair, too.' So just kind of encouraging that, because it doesn't matter what they look like. If you can find something positive about them then you're also going to find something positive about you and then you're gonna win."

For Williams, body positivity is all about being true to yourself. And no one's more open about that than the seven-time Wimbledon champion, who in January documented herself on video struggling to slide into a denim Valentino skirt.

Serena Williams with husband Alexis Ohanian and their daughter, Olympia Ohanian, at the U.S. Open on Aug. 29, 2022 in Queens, New York. - Getty

"I am working towards my goal. I'm gonna fit that skirt soon," said the greatest tennis player of all time in reference to a very relatable moment. "No, it's important just to be honest. And I, literally, don't consider myself any different from anyone else. I'm going through the same struggles, but I will fit in that skirt!"

Williams and Ohanian, 40, are setting a prime example for their daughters, and that's evident by little Olympia following in their footsteps. Speaking to ET last November, Williams shared how Olympia's becoming a big sister.

"She's navigating it. She loves it," Williams shared at the time. "Adira's like a tiny little baby, so Olympia just calls her her little sis."

According to Williams, Olympia "prayed for a sister," so she's been happy about how everything's worked out.

And speaking of things working out, Wyn Beauty offers a quasi-full-circle moment for Williams, whose makeup line has been years in the making. The business endeavor was born out of Williams' need for everyday makeup that suited her busy lifestyle. Her vision, tempered by a global pandemic, was ultimately propelled forward thanks to the same relentless pursuit she's displayed on the tennis courts ever since she was a young child in her hometown of Compton, California.

"I've actually been working on this space for over six years," Williams shares. "I actually remember, before COVID, having meetings with some people and talking about what we were going to do in this space and how we were going to do it. This has actually been in the works for a very, very, very, very, very, very long time. It's not anything that just kinda happened."

Behind a strong team, Williams brought it all together -- an active beauty line that includes soft-matte concealer in a variety of shades, mascara, waterproof liquid eyeliner, brow and eye pencils, satin lipsticks and so much more available on Wyn Beauty's website and the beauty chain ULTA.

Serena Williams at the Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Feb. 3, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. - Getty

"For me, I'm super active. I feel like I'm more active now as a mom and just as a business woman and as an entrepreneur than I've ever really been in my life," Williams says. "I love beauty and I love my makeup, but I can't necessarily go to the grocery store like this or go pick up my daughter at school. It doesn't really suit my lifestyle."

And therein lies one of the company's thesis.

"One of our thesis is that we invest into everyday life, the lives of everyday people," Williams says. "I was thinking about makeup and how it's everyday makeup for that everyday person, that everyday woman. So it's kinda how the concept started. As much as I love my glam look, I need to have something that's everyday. That's easy. I can literally put it on in 10 minutes and still be as glam as I need to be for that day, and it lasts the whole day."

Call it a Wyn-Wyn.

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