Serena pens emotional letter on body image to mom

Serena Williams became a mother on September 1 with her fiancé Alexis Ohanian. She's adapting to this new chapter in her life, and reflecting on her own upbringing, with a special letter to her mother (published on Reddit, naturally).

"Dear Mom, You are one of the strongest women I know," she writes. "I was looking at my daughter (OMG, yes, I have a daughter) and she has my arms and legs! My exact same strong, muscular, powerful, sensational arms and body."

The entry is emotional, focusing on how proud she is of her strong body, and how happy she is that her young daughter, Alexis Ohanian Jr., looks like her. Still, it's never easy to look different.

"But mom, I'm not sure how you did not go off on every single reporter, person, announcer and quite frankly, hater, who was too ignorant to understand the power of a black woman," Williams writes.

Williams has deal with plenty of body critics during her long career, explaining that since the age of 15, she's been in the spotlight and dealt with haters who said she looks like a man, and must be doping.

"I am proud we were able to show them what some women look like. We don't all look the same," Williams adds. "We are curvy, strong, muscular, tall, small, just to name a few, and all the same: we are women and proud!"

Williams, a champion of 23 Grand Slam crowns, has said she hopes to return to the tour in time for the Australian Open.