Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian have a beautiful relationship. For two high-profile figures, however, little is known about their love story.
The two are admittedly pretty private people. A tennis superstar since she was just a child herself, Serena has always been selective about what she shares with the public and when. What she couldn't hide, however, was how hard she fell for Alexis.
The Reddit founder, who has since moved on to other entrepreneurial internet opportunities, wasn't widely known outside of tech until he was linked to Serena, but he too errs on the shy side … except when it comes to cheering on his wife.
Alexis Ohanian plunked into a chair and into Serena Williams' life on May 12, 2015, at the Cavalieri hotel in Rome. Serena and her crew had decided to grab breakfast before the Italian Open. Alexis was thinking the same, but was on his way to a tech conference. He sat at a table that Serena was saving for the other half of her group. When she couldn't get Alexis to move, she invited him to join her table.
Alexis figured out quickly he'd sat down with Serena Williams, but he knew nothing about tennis, so he didn't really understand the magnitude of his encounter. He ended up joining the group again for dinner, but he wasn't immediately thinking romance after having recently gotten out of a five-year relationship.
The two exchanged numbers and started talking. Later that month, after conquering the Australian Open, Serena suggested to Alexis that he come see her play in Paris.
"Even if she blows me off and we don’t even hang out, I'm still going to have an amazing time in Paris, and I'll have an even better story for all my childhood friends when I was like, 'Yeah, I went to Paris for a weekend. I was supposed to meet up with Serena Williams, she blew me off, but I've got other friends there, and we had a great time,'" Alexis remembered thinking of the situation, per Vanity Fair.
Alexis and Serena did meet up in Paris. They spent six hours roaming the streets together, a rarity for a superstar of her magnitude. A connection was made, and over the next year, the two would inspire each other to be their best selves.
In December 2016, the couple returned to Rome, where Alexis proposed. The beautiful moment was followed by something truly unexpected. Weeks later, Serena found out she was pregnant. Incredulous of the results of one test, she took six before the truth set in.
Serena convinced Alexis to fly out to her at the Australian Open ahead of schedule. There, she handed him the bag of tests, and he too was completely surprised. Serena was cleared to play and went on to win seven matches in straight sets.
Pregnancy was delightful, but not easy. Serena and Alexis operated in a bicoastal relationship until they got married. Serena, used to being active, struggled with some of the ways she needed to slow down. They made it through, however, and welcomed Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. on September 1, 2017.
Serena and Alexis married in November 2017, with a star-studded guest list that included Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Anna Wintour, Ciara, and La La Anthony. In 2019 while reflecting on the time, Serena remembered relationship advice she'd received earlier in life from Oprah Winfrey.
"Oprah said, 'Never let anyone dim your light.' That really stuck with me," she told Allure.
"Alexis doesn't dim my light. He doesn't try to dim my light."
"He puts me in the light, even if I don’t want to be. He pushes me to further points I never thought about," she continued.
"It always was something that I could see in some relationships — my light would be dimmer. Now I feel like I can shine really bright and still do everything that I want to do."
Today, Serena and Alexis have been married for four years. Serena admits it's not always easy, but it has been rewarding and eye-opening in ways she never imagined.
"Marriage is not bliss. But it can be if you work at it," she said.
"I learned that love is an amazing feeling. And if you have an opportunity to feel it, then it’s a special thing."
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