Serena Williams angers fans by saying giving birth will make her a ‘real woman’

Aris Folley

Tennis star Serena Williams is getting called out on social media after saying she thinks childbirth would make her a "real woman."

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who is expected to welcome her child with fiancé and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in September, told Stellar magazine that she feels giving birth will change her.

RELATED: Click through photos of Serena Williams' pregnancy Instagrams

"I have so much respect for so many women [for giving birth]," Williams told the magazine in a new cover story. "I am about to be a real woman now, you know? It's going to be something incredibly impressive to go through."

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Tennis superstar @serenawilliams admits her biggest challenge is still yet to come. Don’t miss today’s @theheraldsun @dailytelegraph or @couriermail and make it a #StellarSunday Photo: @jezsmithstudio Styling: @nbonython Wearing: @michaellosordo trench, @berleiaus bra and briefs

A post shared by Stellar (@stellarmag) on Aug 5, 2017 at 2:07pm PDT

And online users were quick to criticize the 35-year-old's statement, considering that many women choose not to have children or are unable to give birth.

SEE ALSO: Pregnant Serena Williams shares heartfelt message to 'dearest baby' after return to No. 1 ranking

"So, in your view, I'm not a real woman because I CHOSE not to have children? #ChooseYourWordsCarefully," one user wrote.

"Didn't know I had to have a baby to be a 'real woman' ... thanks for letting me know @serenawilliams," another reacted.

Williams' Twitter page on Wednesday was devoid of any response to the backlash surrounding her choice of words in the cover story.

See more reactions to William's comments here:

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