Serena Williams is best known for her amazing on-court performances as a multi-Grand Slam and Olympic Gold medal winning tennis player. But off the court, Serena is also a proud mom-of-one (soon to be two!) and is the wife of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
When the couple met, neither knew much about the other's profession, but this didn't stop the potentially billionaire pairing from hitting it off. Join HELLO! as we explore this power couple's journey from a chance first meeting to settled family life.
How did Serena and Alexis meet?
Serena and Alexis' meeting couldn't have been more at random. In May 2015, the 41-year-old tennis player was staying with friends at a hotel in Rome while she was playing in the Italian Open, and Alexis also happened to be at the same location in order to speak at the Festival of Media Global conference.
The couple first met at breakfast, Serena explained during a Vanity Fair cover interview in 2017. And at first, the 23 Grand Slam winning player was unimpressed by her future husband's presence. "This big guy comes and he just plops down at the table next to us, and I’m like, ‘Huh! All these tables and he’s sitting here?'"
Serena and her group of friends tried to get the 40-year-old to move away from them by suggesting a rat had been seen near his table. But, after Alexis questioned whether the group were telling the truth and got a conversation going, the centre-court star ended up inviting him to sit with them instead.
DISCOVER: Serena Williams gives rare insight into marriage with Alexis
This chance meeting eventually led to the pair exchanging numbers, and later that same month they met up again for a weekend in Paris while Serena was playing in the French Open. Alexis – who prior to meeting Serena in Rome had never watched a tennis game in his life (neither in-person nor on TV) – became an avid supporter of the top player, meanwhile the pair met up regularly off the court on dates at the Eiffel Tower, the Jardin des Plantes and more, and slowly fell in love.
When did Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian get married?
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Serena married the Reddit co-founder in November 2017 in New Orleans. Their marriage ceremony was held at the Contemporary Art Centre in the Louisiana city, and was attended by their family and friends, and the couple had a large party after.
Celebrity guests present at the wedding included Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria and several tennis stars. Serena wore an Alexander McQueen ball gown for the event, which was Disney's Beauty and the Beast themed.
The pair's engagement in December 2016 was also an incredibly romantic affair after Alexis arranged for it to take place at the location in Rome where they first met. The sportswoman later announced how she had accepted her partner's proposal by posting a sweet poem on the Reddit thread "I said yes".
Do Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams have kids?
Yes, currently Alexis and Serena share one daughter together: Olympia (full name Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.) who was born on September 1, 2017. News of the five-year-old's birth broke for the couple in January 2017 after the tennis star discovered she was pregnant following a disappointing match result.
However, Serena's pregnancy was not officially revealed until April 2017, when she took to her Instagram to celebrate her child-to-be. "My Dearest Baby, You gave me the strength I didn't know I had. You taught me the true meaning of serenity and peace. I can't wait to meet you," Serena penned.
Following Olympia's birth later that year, Alexis shared an image of Serena with her baby daughter, with which he wrote: "Our little girl is already mama's perfect sidekick." The couple's wedding then followed two months later, followed by Serena and her daughter gracing the cover of Vogue in January 2018.
The pair's first child is due to become one of two later in 2023, as Serena is now pregnant for a second time. The proud parents revealed this news in a dramatic fashion as Serena turned up to the annual Met Gala ball dressed to impress and show off her growing baby bump. She later made the announcement Instagram official by posting photos of her and Alexis at the event along with the caption: "Was so excited when Anna Wintour invited the 3 of us to the Met Gala."
How long have Serena and Alexis been together?
Alexis and Serena have been together for eight years, and have been married for five. Since getting married, the pair have made several public appearances at events such as the Met Gala, film premieres, and at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Alexis was also, of course, often spotted supporting his wife courtside up until her retirement from the sport in September 2022.
Writing about that retirement in an essay for Vogue magazine that month, Serena revealed that her family were one of the main focuses which had led her to decide to leave the sport. "In the last year, Alexis and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently got some information from my doctor that put my mind at ease and made me feel that whenever we’re ready, we can add to our family," she said. "I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete," she then elaborated, adding: "I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out."
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The couple's relationship seems to be growing stronger and stronger with time. Writing about the pair's fifth wedding anniversary in November 2022, Alexis told his Instagram audience: "@serenawilliams and I agreed this was our best Anniversary yet… It hasn't all been easy, but making that commitment to Serena and Olympia on 11.16.17 will always be one of my best life decisions. It wasn't just an amazing weekend in New Orleans, it was the day I became a Man. Grateful for everything our little family is building together."
Where do Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian live?
Serena and her husband have settled down to raise their family in Florida, nearby to where Serena's sister Venus lives. The pair and their daughter Olympia live in a bespoke waterfront property in Miami which was designed in a Spanish Mediterranean style by her sister's design firm V Starr Interiors.
While the sisters collaborated on the design, Alexis – who at that point was still only a recent boyfriend – largely wasn't involved in the process. He did however have a lot more influence in the designing of Olympia's room when that was organized.