Serena shares day- to-day struggles, wins with TIME

Just days after the worst loss of her career to Johanna Konta in San Jose, Serena Williams opened her doors to TIME magazine. The latest issue feature her in-depth interview with TIME’s Sean Gregory about her comeback, her motivations and her struggles, and adapting to her new life as a mom.

Though her last two events have been disappointing (she also lost in Cincinnati to Petra Kvitova), Williams is still relatively fresh from her run to the Wimbledon final. Though she fell short of winning Grand Slam No. 24, she made a huge statement for all the moms in the world.

"I dedicated that to all the moms out there who’ve been through a lot," Williams tells TIME. "Some days, I cry. I’m really sad. I’ve had meltdowns. It’s been a really tough 11 months. If I can do it, you guys can do it too."

Williams gave birth last September to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. While she would reveal the intricacies of the medical complications that followed, she was slower to talk about her postpartum depression.

With each step forward though, Williams is learning more and more.

"I still have to learn a balance of being there for [Olympia], and being there for me. I’m working on it," Williams said. "I never understood women before, when they put themselves in second or third place. And it’s so easy to do. It’s so easy to  do.”

The US Open is just around the corner, and Williams' ranking is up to No. 27 so she'll be seeded without controversy this time. Despite all that she's been through and having had every opportunity to close the door on her professional career, the 36-year-old is still very much chasing Margaret Court's record of 24 Slams.

"I’m not done yet, simple," Williams said. "My story doesn’t end here."

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