Serena Williams Shares A Rare & Supportive Relationship With Husband Alexis Ohanian

Jan 03, 2022 by apost team

Serena Williams is a living legend. She is the only tennis player in American history, male or female, to win over 20 majors. She is also the only player ever to have won three out of the four Grand Slams at least six times. Lauded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Williams is clearly one of the biggest sports heroes alive today. 

With all of her success, it can be easy to forget that Williams is also a wife and mother. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, is the co-founder of Reddit and has other entrepreneurial ventures that keep him busy. However, both parents go out of their way to spend quality time with their daughter and with each other. 

Ohanian proposed to Williams in Rome in 2016 and is known for his extravagant gestures that sweep his wife off of her feet. They were married in 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and some of the wedding guests included Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Kim Kardashian. In September of that year, their daughter was born. This meant that Williams was eight weeks pregnant when she won the 2017 Australian Open.

In 2019, both Williams and Ohanian spoke with the media about their daughter Alexis Olympia, who goes by Olympia. Williams said that she had always wanted to be a mom and offered some advice for anyone thinking about having kids. Ohanian shared that he learned how to be a loving husband and father from his parents and went into detail about how he and Williams stay connected through their hectic lifestyles. 

Keep reading to hear more about relationships and parenting from Williams and Ohanian.

The 23 Grand Slam singles titles winner, Serena Williams opened up on becoming a mom and shared some pieces of advice for people who are wondering when a good time would be to start a family.

At New York Fashion Week in 2019, Serena who is now a mom to Olympia talked about becoming a mother. "Becoming a mom is something that I've always wanted to do, but I was getting older, and (it was) not really going to happen," Serena said to The Talks as cited by PopSugar. 

"I love being her mom, and it's such a great feeling. For me, she's the best thing that's happened to me and I've had so many amazing things happen to me, so that's really saying a lot," Serena continued.

The tennis star also said that there is never a right time to have kids and her personal tip is to just go for it if you want it. "You've got to just jump in," Serena said. "That's the best way."

The athlete is still in disbelief that she is a mom. "I feel definitely evolved, but the other day we were at dinner and I'm like, 'How am I a mom?! How did that happen?' I remember being pregnant, but it feels like a lifetime ago. I was just hanging out with my friends, and I was like, 'I'm a mom!' It's weird!"

The loving mom also regularly makes posts about her daughter on Instagram. One caption from 2019 reads: “This Mama tries to spend as much time with @OlympiaOhanian as possible. She keeps me going especially during tournaments. Although the popcorn machine has her attention here, I know she's watching and learning to see how I persevere in challenging and rewarding moments.” 

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In 2019, Ohanian gave some insight to Glamour about where he learned the secret to a happy marriage. He credited his own parents, saying,  “It wasn’t always easy, but my parents were partners in the truest sense. By watching them up close, I learned what it means to be supportive, how to make compromises without sacrificing yourself, and how to show up in the ways that matter.”

Even with their busy careers, Williams and Ohanian make time to spend together. He shared, “Comparing calendars isn’t romantic, but at the start of every year, Serena and I map out our schedules so that, ideally, there isn’t more than a week that we go without seeing each other.”

When it came time for his daughter to be born, Ohanian also “showed up” by taking time off of work. “My understanding of showing up and being present for my wife was taken to a whole new level when Olympia was born. I was able to take 16 weeks of paid leave from Reddit, and it was one of the most important decisions I’ve made,” he said. 

Ohanian also pointed out that making sacrifices is a necessary element to every relationship, and he is not afraid to do so for his wife. He explained, “I know I’ve been successful in my career, but I’m not the one racking up the trophies. It helps that my wife and I both know what it takes to be successful and bring that mutual understanding, drive, and relentlessness to the table. But at the end of the day, sometimes her career really does have to come first.”

What do you think of what Williams and Ohanian had to say about parenting and relationships? Let us know and feel free to pass this on to any tennis fans you know.