"Holding my daughter terrified me, what if I break her?" - When Serena Williams' husband Alexis opened up about how paternity leave changed his life

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, once spoke about how taking a paternity leave when the couple welcomed their first daughter, Olympia, positively changed his life. The Reddit co-founder mentioned that he had to take a 16-week paid leave since it was a company policy; however, he initially didn't realize how important that leave would prove to be.

Williams and Ohanian welcomed Olympia, their first child, on September 1, 2017. However, the American tennis star had near-fatal complications and spent days fighting pulmonary embolism. Though they were blessed with a baby daughter, Williams, on the other hand, wasn't even able to walk when they returned home.

The genius entrepreneur said his family was fortunate enough to have much-needed help during these times, but he also admitted that despite having paid leave and his ability to turn his full attention to his family, he still found dealing with the entire ordeal incredibly difficult.

Ohanian then said paternity leave gave him some quality time to spend with Olympia, helping him figure out how parenting works. The adorable father-daughter bond between the two can be witnessed on Ohanian's social media, which features the duo enjoying golfing, making pancakes, and more.

"Spending a big chunk of time with Olympia when she was a newborn gave me confidence that I could figure this whole parenting thing out," Serena Williams' husband told NYT (New York Times) Parenting in 2019.

The 42-year-old got candid about the first time he held Olympia in her hands, thinking what if he hurt her accidentally. He then slowly grew comfortable, caressing and rocking her to sleep, learning how to take care of children.

"As an only child with no cousins, I didn’t grow up around babies; in fact, I had never held one until my daughter was born. At first, holding her terrified me. I am a giant and she’s so tiny … What if I break her? I didn’t — which was encouraging — and then I learned how to calm her crying, rock her to sleep and handle her toddler years with grace."

On 15 August 2023, the couple welcomed their second daughter, Adira, and Ohanian stressed the importance of paternity leave once again.

"This leave has been vital for our family" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reiterated the importance of paternity leave after welcoming Adira

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian and their daughter Olympia Athlos NYC - Source: Getty

When Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian welcomed Adira in 2023, Ohanian once again reiterated the importance of paternity leave and how it had been 'vital' for them.

"One month into my #PaternityLeave, as grateful as I am that Adira's birth was smooth & Serena has been recovering well; this leave has been vital for our family," he posted on X (formerly Twitter)

During this time, Ohanian, who strongly advocated for paternity leaves, said he took the fight to Congress to win 12 weeks of mandatory paternal leave for all Federal employees and later the military.

"And I won't stop this fight until every American has the same opportunity I had — and doesn't need to choose between their family and their career when welcoming a new child. If we believe that the family unit is the foundation of a society, we owe it to every American to set them up for success during these crucial first weeks," Serena Williams' husband commented further.

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, recently celebrated the rise in paternity leave and hoped for a culture change that encouraged fathers to access their leave.