Serena Williams details struggles with 'postpartum emotions'

(WENN) — Serena Williams struggled with "postpartum emotions" last week and didn't feel like a good mom to her daughter Alexis Olympia.

The tennis ace has been open about her experiences with postnatal depression following the birth of her first child with husband Alexis Ohanian in September, and on Monday she opened up about the issue once again on social media.

"Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom," she wrote on Instagram, possibly referring to her defeat to Johanna Konta at the 2018 Silicon Valley Classic last week. It was the worst defeat of her professional career, marking the first time she had failed to win at least two games in a match.

"I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with," she continued. "I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal... It's totally normal to feel like I'm not doing enough for my baby."

The 36-year-old added that since she returned to tennis earlier this year following Alexis' birth, she has been struggling with feeling like she's not seeing her child enough as she needs to train so much.

"Although I have been with her every day of her life, I'm not around as much as I would like to be," she explained. "Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes... I'm here to say: if you are having a rough day or week--it's ok--I am, too!!! There's always tomm (tomorrow)!"

The sports star had been due to compete at the Rogers Cup tournament in Canada this week, but recently pulled out citing "personal reasons".