Serena Williams has long been lauded for her exceptional skills as a tennis player. Through hard work and determination, the athlete managed to solidify her name in the annals of sports history alongside her similarly talented older sister. Although, after years of dedication to the sport, Williams decided to turn her attention to her family.
The 41-year-old shares one daughter with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and the pair recently announced the birth of a second baby. The tennis legend shared the news with her fans via her social media accounts, posting a video on her TikTok account that showed the newest addition to their family for the very first time.
The video showed Williams walking into view, clad in a bright pink outfit. She strode over to a table and bench where her husband was already sitting, wrapping her arm around him as she sat down. He planted a kiss on his wife’s head, and the pair sat waiting for their daughter, Olympia Ohanian, to join them.
Williams realized that she needed to take a step back.
Williams suddenly stood up and moved out of the shot. Not long after, the happy mom returned with a small bundle in her arms. She sat down, finally showing her new baby to the camera. In Instagram posts made by the entire family, they celebrated the little one, with Williams captioning a photo she shared, “Adira River Ohanian đâ¤ď¸.” Her husband lovingly wrote, “@serenawilliams you’ve now given me another incomparable gift â you’re the GMOAT.”
Why Did Serena Williams Have to Quit Tennis to Welcome Second Baby?
The announcement of her youngest daughter’s birth comes more than a year after Williams first shared that she was pregnant back in 2022. The tennis player shared a photo on May 2, subtly letting her fans know that she was expecting. The photo showed herself and her husband in formal wear, and the caption read:
“Was so excited when Anna Wintour invited the 3 of us to the Met Gala.”
After initial bafflement, fans noticed that Williams was sporting a slight baby bump, and the comment section filled up with surprised congratulations. Over the next few months, the expecting mother opened up about her latest pregnancy and what it meant for her tennis career, revealing that she wanted to focus on raising her kids.
In an article for Vogue, Williams wrote about her experience as a mother, saying she never thought about having children when she was younger. When she eventually fell pregnant for the first time, she kept on playing tennis, winning the Australian Open two months into the pregnancy. But the new baby was different.
Williams realized that she needed to take a step back. She would be turning 41 a few months after becoming pregnant, and she had to take things easy, so she decided to retire. Williams explained, “I have never liked the word retirement … I’m evolving away from tennis … A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”