Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian got married in 2017, a moment in time that changed the entrepreneur’s life by his own admission. After welcoming their first daughter Olympia in 2017, the duo experienced the birth of their second daughter Adira in 2023.
But more than just in his personal life, Ohanian has stated that marrying the tennis icon also impacted the way in which he saw the world, this time with the added perspective of a Black American woman.
Speaking in an interview with CNN in 2020, the Reddit co-founder opened up about the “front row seat” he got to seeing how hard Serena Williams has had to work in her career.
He further commented about how it impacted their daughter Olympia as well, stating that he also wanted to make sure he did his part to make the world a better place for their children.
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“I’ve had a front row seat to exactly how different it is and how much she’s toiled not only as a woman, but as a Black woman,” he said.
“Olympia is not going to question everything Serena has done to make this world better for Olympia. I want to sit at that dinner table when Olympia’s a little older and feel like I’ve done my part, too,” he added.
"I hated tennis until I met my wife" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian
In the interview, Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian also spoke about his relationship with tennis, admitting that he did not like the sport that much until he married her.
“I hated tennis until I met my wife, so I’m a quick learner! As a fan of sport for all of my life and then someone who’s got a front row seat to [see] what it really takes, I do have a new appreciation for just how intense it is," Ohanian said.
The Reddit co-founder further conceded that being married to Williams made him aware how difficult the pro athlete life was, saying:
“I thought we worked hard in tech. I really did. I naively thought, ‘Oh, we’re the hardest working industry,’ which is a total farce. What pro athletes do mentally and physically, day in and day out, is just another level."
Serena Williams is now retired from the pro tennis life, appearing for the last time at the 2022 US Open and reaching the third round before bowing out in front of her home fans.
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