Sarah Sjöström has previously announced that she wants to return to swimming and that she has set her sights on the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028. If she does, she is in good company with several other well-known athletes who have made successful comebacks after a pregnancy:
+ Serena Williams, tennis
Serena Williams became a mother for the first time in 2017, to just a year later play the Wimbledon final. Even though the American did not take any more heavy singles titles after becoming a mother, she made it to double finals in both Wimbledon and US Open.
+ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, athletics
The sprinter from Jamaica not only managed to continue her active career after giving birth to her first child in 2017, she set new personal records. Fraser-Pryce's best time on both 100 meters and 200 meters came in 2021. Two years after becoming a mother, in 2019, she took gold on 100 meters in the World Championship in Qatar. At the Olympic Games 2021, she won silver individually on 100 meters and gold in the team event 4 x 100 meters. In 2022, she defended her World Championship gold on 100 meters.
+ Alex Morgan, football
One of the USA's foremost forwards of all time. Already had World Championship gold and Olympic Games gold in her bag when she gave birth to her first child in 2020. She missed the postponed Olympic tournament that was played in 2021 due to the pandemic. At the World Championship 2023, Morgan was however back in the national team and started all of the USA's matches. In 2024, she ended her career in connection with becoming pregnant for a second time.
+ Jessica Ennis-Hill, athletics
The multi-event athlete had been plagued by injuries before deciding to take a break to give birth in 2014. She came back and took World Championship gold at the championships in Beijing 2015. At the Olympic Games 2016, she failed to defend her title, but finished second behind the Belgian Nafissatou Thiam.
+ Dara Torres, swimming
Torres became both the oldest, 41 years, and the first American swimmer to make it to five Olympic Games when she was cleared for the summer games in Beijing 2008. Once there, she was part of taking an individual silver on 50 meters freestyle and two more silvers in team events. Torres had then become a mother for the first time as late as 2006.
