Tennis master Serena Williams fell in love unexpectedly, and she found her current husband to be an inconvenience when they first met.
They had known each other for for ten years, and five years later they are a testament to how lovely marriage can be. Here is a timeline of how the adorable pair met.
Although Serena Williams’s love story started out like a fairytale, it actually happened by accident. A few hours after they met, she also got to know her prince charming, but it also has an oddity. At first sight, Alexia Ohanian, her future wife, irritated her more than it made her feel butterflies in her stomach.
He didn’t approach her at first; in fact, he was by himself when he happened to be in her face at an Italian hotel’s pool area. The two were guests at Rome’s Cavalieri Hotel in May 2015.
Williams planned to have a buffet with her team, which included seasoned agent Jill Smoller and business developer Zane Haupt, since she had her first match at the Italian Open slated for a few hours later.
Alexis, who was in town for the Festival of Media Global Conference, on the other hand, also made her way to the poolside for breakfast after a night of drinking.
Alexis, a Reddit co-founder and computer nerd, managed to snag a seat adjacent to Williams’s group. He was concentrating on working on his laptop and eating his meal. However, the tennis champion saw this as a diversion.
Australian-born Haupt did not conceal her emotions as she sought to scare him away with rats. Williams laughed out loud when the business developer claimed there was a rat under his table.
The 23-time grand slam champion admitted that there were no rats and that their true goal was to get him to leave. In response, Alexis made a joke about not being afraid of rats, saying:
“I’m a Brooklyn native. I frequently encounter rats.”
Later, they invited him to their meal, and so began their lovely friendship. Alexis, a die-hard supporter of basketball and football but not tennis, was aware that his new acquaintance was a tennis legend.
Williams asked him about his trip to Rome as they continued their friendly exchange, and he told her about his Reddit page. The grand slam champion initially believed he was drawn to a member of her team. She nevertheless gave him her phone number.
Alexis accepted an invitation to watch the evening tennis event with the fans, but he skipped the celebratory feast because Williams had won the match.
He granted the athlete’s desire to attend the French Open a few weeks later. The tennis champion wished for him to see her play even better than before. Alexis went to France even though he had no plans to go there.
They ended up having a blast. Williams was at ease spending additional time with Alexis. After taking an Uber, they went to Le Ménagerie Zoo and then a confectionery shop.
They spent six hours wandering around the lovely city of Paris. In the city of lovers, this was the beginning of their love tale!
Williams, a famous player who didn’t get many opportunities to do such excursions, and Alexis, a seasoned traveler, made a good traveling pair.
After meeting for the first time, Alexis and Williams had grown close. They engaged in a romantic relationship that required giving up certain moral principles. Williams, a member of the Jehovah’s Witness faith, disapproved of birthday parties.
Even so, she sent her beloved a birthday message on Facetime that year when he was out to dinner with his grandparents.
Williams convinced herself that she was prepared for marriage, but she didn’t realize the truth until she wed in 2017.
Beyond their connection, Alexis had grown to believe that she was his soul mate, and he wanted to wed her.
It was more than just contentment or compatibility for him. The tech expert was instead awed by Williams’s work ethic, which inspired him to develop into a better person and a meticulous go-getter. She said that:
“I had the impression that a door had been opened to someone who inspired me to be my best self. Simply being in her presence makes me want to improve because of the high standards she upholds.”
After the birthday call, Alexis immediately started working. He teamed up with her close associates, including Smoller and Dakota Baynham, her executive assistant.
Thanks to Wiliams’ team, the co-founder of Reddit planned a surprise marriage proposal in December 2016 near the spot where they originally met. Smoller persuaded the tennis champion to make a pit stop in Italy and set up camp at the Cavalieri Hotel instead of her scheduled match in India.
Despite the fact that she needed to prepare for the Australian Open and that there was no need for her to travel to Europe, she consented.
Williams was unhappy when she got on the plane going the other way, but she quickly realized that Alexis had decided to give her a surprise of a lifetime. At age 35, she finally felt prepared! Her lover wanted them to spend time together, according to what she had been informed.
Alexis reserved the same room, cleared the area around the pool, and romantically related the tale of their first encounter to his boyfriend alone. Even better, he added a plastic rat to their table to provide some fun. Finally, he made a proposal!
Williams convinced herself that she was prepared for marriage, but she did not discover the harsh reality until she wed in 2017. The younger generation may now understand that such a relationship is effort-based thanks to her inspiring reality.
Marriage is not happiness, but it can be if you work at it, she remarked, reflecting what she learned after getting married.
Marriage has also taught her about love, concurrently. “I discovered that love is an incredible emotion, and if you get the chance to experience it, then it’s a special thing,” she continued.
Williams wants her young fans to understand that “heartbreak is a part of life” and that whatever the agony it creates, it will eventually go away amid her admissions.
The tennis player concluded the conversation by acknowledging that her deal breaker in any relationship is not being loyal. In addition to being happily married now, Williams is also the mother to Olympia Ohanian, a wonderful daughter they have together.
Williams has been winning awards since she was a teenager, but now that she is 41, she has made the decision to step down from the spotlight by giving up her first love, tennis.
She started her final U.S. Open game on September 3. This follows her August announcement of her retirement. The 23-time grand slam champion admitted that although she never wanted to choose between motherhood and her sports, one eventually had to give way.
The tennis legend admitted that things might have gone differently if she had been a guy after making the difficult choice. She penned:
“I wouldn’t be writing this because my wife would be performing the actual effort of growing our family while I was out there playing and winning. Maybe if I had that chance, I’d be more like Tom Brady.”
Despite her admissions, Williams said that she enjoyed being a woman and resisted acknowledging that she could no longer play tennis while trying to grow her family.
The subject is never brought up in her household; she referred to it as “a taboo,” and she said that she dislikes discussing it with anyone, even her parents, because it makes her feel vulnerable.
It has to be different this time, according to Williams, who played for a few months while carrying Olympia. She joked.
“As an athlete, I don’t want to get pregnant again. Tennis requires me to be either two feet in or two feet out.”
Fans have watched one of the top tennis players in the world challenge herself to win titles throughout the years. Aside from sports, she is a businesswoman who runs Serena Ventures, a multimillion dollar enterprise, as well as a clothing line.
The mother of one decided to use the word “evolution” instead of “retirement.” She interprets it as a sign that she is transitioning into new stages of her life.
She is fortunate to be traveling this path with a kind and supportive spouse who is ready and prepared to offer his support both on and off the tennis court.
Alexis was observed crying during their daughter’s most recent game while they both watched. He couldn’t take his eyes off the video tribute honoring the athlete’s career.
The key to the couple’s happy marriage has been Alexis’ continuous support and Williams’ awareness of the need to work on their union. They provide as evidence that romance seen on TV can actually occur.
Watch Alexis get emotional at Serena Williams’s tribute below:
