"I knew it was coming. I was like, 'You're ready, this is what you want'" - When Serena Williams spoke about Alexis Ohanian's proposal

Serena Williams once said that she was ready to get married when Alexis Ohanian proposed to her.

The former World No. 1 first met Ohanian in Rome in 2015. The couple got engaged the following year, after the Reddit co-founder proposed to her in the very same city.

Williams spoke about Ohanian's proposal in a 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, saying that she knew it was around the corner. The former World No. 1 also said that she was ready to get married, which was something she wanted.

“I knew it was coming. I was like, ‘Serena, you’re 35, you’re ready. This is what you want,’” Williams said.

Not long after being engaged, the American took part in the 2017 Australian Open. Williams reached the final following wins over Belinda Bencic, Lucie Safarova, Nicole Gibbs, Barbora Strycova, Johanna Konta and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

She faced her sister Venus Williams in the summit clash and won 6-4, 6-4 to lift her 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy.

Interestingly, Serena Williams' Australian Open triumph came when she was eight weeks pregnant.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian have two children

Serena Williams at the 2023 CFDA Fashion awards

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian wed in November 2017 and are parents to two daughters, Olympia and Adira.

Their older daughter Olympia was born in September 2017, two months before their wedding. The couple's second daughter Adira was born in 2023.

Serena Williams returned to action in 2018, a few months after giving birth to her older daughter. The American did not win a single Grand Slam in her comeback but reached four finals - two at Wimbledon and two at the US Open.

Her only tournament win after returning to action came at the 2020 ASB Classic in Auckland, where she beat Jessica Pegula in the final.

Williams retired from the sport in 2022, with that year's US Open being her final tournament. The American reached the third round of the New York Major following wins over Danka Kovinic and then-World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit. She was then defeated by eventual quarterfinalist Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets.

Earlier that year, Williams took part in Wimbledon and two Masters 1000 events. She suffered an opening-round exit at the grass-court Major before losing in the second round of the Canadian Open. The American then suffered a first-round exit at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, losing to Emma Raducanu in straight sets.