Winning 23 grand slam titles doesn’t come from an absence of devotion and commitment, so it’s no surprise Serena Williams’ relationship philosophy is aligned with her athletic one.
The tennis champion opened up about her marriage to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian in a candid video interview with dating app Bumble.
Asked what surprised her most about married life, Williams simply quipped, “Marriage is not bliss, but it can be if you work at it.”
The mother of one, acclaimed for her success on the tennis courts, also pinpointed “loyalty” as her relationship dealbreaker.
“A dealbreaker for me in a relationship is definitely loyalty. Well, not having it, that is,” she shared.
The conversation, shared via Instagram, moved from married life and love to heartbreak, Williams admitting the feeling is “part of life” and not limited to our romantic encounters.
“Heartbreak is a part of life, whether it be a loved one, a boyfriend, or an animal,” she said.
“But time heals all wounds.”
Williams and Ohanian began dating in September 2015, after the pair met by chance during breakfast at the Cavalieri Hotel in Rome.
The Reddit founder had sat at the table next to Williams and her group, despite there being empty tables elsewhere.
In a bid to get Ohanian to move away, Williams’ friend told him there was a rat at his table and that he might want to sit elsewhere.
When Ohanian refused, saying he was from Brooklyn and saw rats all the time, Williams was amused and invited him to sit with them.
The couple married in November 2017, welcoming their first child together, daughter Olympia, two months before.
Williams told Bumble she “always knew” she wanted to be a mother.
“I never knew when, but I always knew I wanted kids at some point,” she said.
The tennis icon has gushed about the joys of motherhood in the past, while acknowledging the difficulty in balancing parenthood with a career in elite sport.
In an unfiltered post to Instagram, Williams appeared with her hair pulled back and no makeup on, dressed down in a black hoodie as she gazed into the distance in an absent-minded stare many mums know all too well.
“I am not sure who took this picture but working and being a mum is not easy,” Williams wrote in the caption.
“I am often exhausted, stressed, and then I go play a professional tennis match. We keep going. I am so proud and inspired by the women who do it day in and day out. I’m proud to be this baby’s mama.”
The athlete described the pressure of parenthood both on and off the court in an essay for Fortune in 2019.
“Navigating it all is especially tough for working mums, myself included …Even with all the resources I’m incredibly blessed to have, motherhood comes with so many unexpected challenges, especially when it’s time to go back to work,” she explained.
Ohanian took paternity leave when the couple’s daughter was born.
In 2016, the venture capitalist told Vanity Fair he knew he wanted to marry the tennis star because he “felt like a door had been opened to a person who made me want to be my best self”.
“I find myself just wanting to be better by simply being around her because of the standard she holds,” he said.
