"I always assumed I'd marry a Black guy" - When Serena Williams revealed her true feelings behind tying the knot with husband Alexis Ohanian

Serena Williams once opened up about her journey to marrying Alexis Ohanian, revealing that she had always imagined herself marrying a Black man. However, life had other plans, and she shared that while it wasn’t what she initially expected, she followed her heart.

Williams and Ohanian met by chance in May 2015 at a hotel in Rome. She was there for the Italian Open, while he was attending a tech conference. One morning at breakfast, he sat at a table near Williams and her team. Trying to get him to move, they jokingly mentioned there was a rat nearby. To their surprise, he didn’t budge, and his calm reaction caught her attention.

Instead of brushing it off, the American invited him to join them at the table. They hit it off immediately and kept in touch after that day. Not long after, she asked him to come watch her play at the French Open in Paris, which turned into their first official date.

The duo tied the knot on November 16, 2017, in a lavish ceremony held at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. The wedding had a 'Beauty and the Beast' theme and was attended by several high-profile guests, including Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Eva Longoria.

Talking about how her expectations changed when she met Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams told Time in a 2018 interview:

“I always assumed I’d marry a Black guy,” she said. “I always felt that I could relate more with a Black guy, that we’d have more struggles in common, you know?”

Williams gave birth to their daughter Olympia, two months before she and Alexis Ohanian got married. She even won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant with Olympia, a fact she kept private at the time and only revealed months later.

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Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian expanded their family after her retirement from tennis

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian pictured with their daughter Olympia | Image Source: Getty

Serena Williams enjoyed a legendary career and is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, if not the greatest, with an incredible 23 Grand Slam titles to her name. She officially brought her journey to an end at the 2022 US Open.

Williams and Ohanian later chose to expand their family, with the tennis icon becoming pregnant with their second daughter, Adira. She gave birth in August 2023, and Ohanian shared the joyful news and their story with fans through a heartfelt Instagram post.

"Welcome, Adira River Ohanian," the Reddit co-founder wrote. "I'm grateful to report our house is teaming with love: a happy & healthy newborn girl and happy & healthy mama. Feeling grateful. @serenawilliams you've now given me another incomparable gift — you're the GMOAT. Thanks to all the amazing medical staff who took care of my wife & our daughter 🙏 I'll never forget the moment I introduced @olympiaohanian to her baby sister."