Serena Williams Chooses Interracial Family over Career — She Never Thought She’d Marry ‘a White Guy’

Serena Williams never thought she would have children, nor did she ever think she would have a white husband. Earlier, she could not have imagined sacrificing her beloved sports career for the sake of her family. But life brings surprises, and in Williams’ case, the happiest.

Tennis legend Serena Williams was so dedicated to her sporting career for years that being a mom or marrying someone out of her own race were the last things on her mind.

In a lengthy piece for Vogue dated August 2022, Williams got candid about motherhood and her career. She admitted that the thought of being a mom when she started scared her a bit because of the world we live in, but there was more to it than that.

Serena Williams attends the 2022 Portrait of a Nation Gala on November 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. ┃Source: Getty Images

“Earlier in my career, I never thought about having kids. There were times when I wondered if I should ever bring kids into this world with all its problems. I was never that confident or comfortable around babies or children,” Williams explained, adding that if ever she became a mother, her child would always be in the care of nannies.

However, because she eventually became a parent, the Michigan native realized that wasn’t the case. Though she had people helping her with her daughter, she proudly said, “I’m an incredibly hands-on mother,” and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, could attest to that.

The couple married in 2017, and a year later, in April 2018, Williams spoke openly about their relationship and stated, although they are opposites, they make a good pair.

“I’m an athlete. He’s a business guy. I’m black. He’s white. We are totally opposite,” said Williams. Regardless of coming from two different worlds, she said they “complement each other.”

The 23-time Grand Slam champion previously dated black and white men. When asked about the significance of her marriage to Ohanian in that regard, Williams said she always reminds her spouse that there are differences that exist between the two races:

“He always gets to hear about the injustices that happen; that wouldn’t happen if I were white. It’s interesting. I never thought I would have married a white guy, either, so it just goes to show you that love truly has no color.”

Williams explained that in the end, she only wanted someone who would treat her with kindness, “laugh” with her, be understanding and genuinely adore her.

When she and Ohanian met at a restaurant at the Cavalieri hotel in Rome in May 2015—where she was seated with her team—the group found him somewhat annoying for taking a seat at the table next to theirs.

That evening, Williams had to play a match in the Italian Open. She and her team had gone to a buffet that had closed minutes before they arrived. They decided to go and sit in the pool area at a table of four and order breakfast. Other members were expected at an adjoining table.

Meanwhile, Ohanian was in the city to attend the Festival of Media Global conference. He also went to the pool area, where he seamlessly sat next to his future wife.

Little did Ohanian know that he had made Williams and his team uncomfortable, primarily because there were many empty seats.

The greatest tennis player of all time recalled that encounter in a June 2017 interview: “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?'”

In contrast, Ohanian argued that the pool area was not entirely “empty.” To try to get him to leave, Zane Haupt chimed in and lied about a rat being in their midst. “There’s a rat by your table. You don’t want to sit there,” he told the Reddit co-founder.

Williams said the tactic to get rid of Ohanian did not work as he was reluctant to move. She remembered the first words she uttered to him after he asked if there was really a rat in their spot:

“No, we just don’t want you sitting there. We’re going to use that table.”

But Ohanian replied, “I’m from Brooklyn. I see rats all the time.” She asked if he was scared of them, and he said, “No.”

That was when she decided to invite him over to their table and when he became certain that the person he had been talking to was the former world No.1. Ohanian had general knowledge about Williams’ achievements on the court.

Williams played the game that night but did not play well because of her injury. Still, she came out victorious. Following the match, Williams invited Ohanian to join her and her team for dinner, but he could not be present.

After winning the Australian Open, the sportswoman texted the internet entrepreneur and asked him to come and watch her play at the French Open in Paris later that month. This time, he made it.

Before the tournament began, Williams and Ohanian went sightseeing in the city. They headed to the Eiffel Tower and the zoo and later stopped at a stall selling candies. The unlikely pair roamed the streets of Paris for six hours and were in awe by its beauty.

Ohanian Proposed to Williams Where They First Met

In April 2016, the duo’s connection began to develop. Williams FaceTimed Ohanian to wish him well on his birthday and told him their lives were blissful.

That was when he realized that he wanted to marry her. Williams had made quite an impact on his life by helping him to reinvent himself. He was stunned by her work ethic and focus while being the world’s most outstanding athlete.

In December 2016, Ohanian contemplated making Williams his wife and planned a surprise proposal in Rome where they first crossed paths.

He chose the same room they had shared at the same hotel and had the space filled with flowers. The author led Williams to the same table by the pool area where they first interacted.

The tech geek had the hotel cleared out for the occasion. He recalled to her how they had met two years before, then even placed a plastic rat on the table. Then he got down on one knee and proposed.

Williams soon learned that she was pregnant while preparing for a tournament. She felt physically different—she had even thrown up, and her breasts had become bigger.

The sports star made nothing of it, but her friend, Jessica Steindorff, suspected she might be expecting and suggested she take a pregnancy test. Williams shut down the thought, but eventually caved in and did—to “prove” Steindorff otherwise.

To her surprise, her pal was right. Williams revealed that upon seeing the positive test, she “did a double take, and my heart dropped.” The first thing that came to mind was her upcoming Australian Open match because she wanted to win the tournament that year.

While Williams was still in panic mode, Steindorff got her five more pregnancy test kits, which all came out positive. When Williams told her fiancé, he was as surprised as she was at the news.

Businessman Alexis Ohanian kisses his wife, tennis player Serena Williams, while holding their daughter Olympia during a tribute at the 2022 US Open Tennis tournament women’s singles at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on August 29, 2022┃Source: Getty Images

The couple had their one and only child, daughter Olympia, in September 2017, and it was a rather daunting ordeal for Williams. Despite a smooth pregnancy, the first-time mom delivered her child via C-section when the baby’s heart dropped during contractions. She revealed:

“I almost died after giving birth to my daughter, Olympia.”

A day after giving birth, Williams discovered that she had pulmonary embolism and underwent the knife again to prevent blood clots from traveling to her lungs. Following the successful surgery, she had to spend six weeks bedridden. Despite the health scare, Williams regards herself as “fortunate.”

Eleven weeks after giving birth, she and Ohanian walked down the aisle in November 2017 at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. The lovebirds exchanged their wedding vows in front of celebrity friends, including Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé.

Williams Gave up Her Career for Her Family

Years after becoming a mom and a wife, Williams decided to bow out of her illustrious tennis career to devote more time to her family. The proud parent shared she overheard her daughter say that she wants to be a “big sister” when she grows up, and it dawned on her that she and Ohanian needed to grow their family of three.

Williams officially retired from tennis in 2022 but mentioned that instead of using the word “retirement,” she views her decision as a “transition” into the next chapter of her life.

Alexis Ohanian and his daughter Olympia pictured during the US Open Tennis Championship 2022 at the USTA National Tennis Centre on August 29, 2022 in Flushing, Queens, New York City ┃Source: Getty Images

However, she said the favorable choice of a word to use for her next journey would be “evolution.” Williams is “evolving” from a sport she has known all her life to focusing on more important things.

These include a business venture called Serena Ventures, a capital firm. She also wants to put more attention on growing her family. Williams became a more determined mother as she revealed that she and her child had not spent a day apart.

Even when Williams got injured from playing, she made sure she fetched Olympia from school almost daily to see her happy face once she saw her waiting for her outside.

Williams wants to give her daughter enough attention and teachings, just like her mother did. She said Olympia likes experimenting with different things and that her recent favorite thing to do is “watching baking shows, which we do together. Whatever she likes, I like,” she added.

In addition, the doting mom disclosed that she and her husband had been working on having another child. The celebrity couple learned satisfying news from the doctor, who has made them hopeful about bringing another addition to the family.

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