By Power couple Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian recently announced they were expecting their second child, and Williams was looking stunning as she walked the red carpet for the Met Gala with her baby bump on display. The couple has been together for almost a decade, and they've managed to to do so much in that time.
Like welcoming their daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. in 2017, for example. They were married in New Orleans that same year, and things seem to still be going strong.
“Alexis doesn’t dim my light,” Williams told Allure about the Reddit founder in January 2019. “He doesn’t try to dim my light. He puts me in the light, even if I don’t want to be. He pushes me to further points I never thought about.”
That apparently wasn't the case in other relationships. She added, “Now I feel like I can shine really bright and still do everything that I want to do.”
For example, winning a grand slam while secretly pregnant with her first born. Here's the complete timeline of Williams and Ohanian's very supportive relationship.
May 2015
Williams and Ohanian were both staying at the same hotel in Rome in May 2015, where Williams was preparing for the Italian Open, and Ohanian was scheduled to speak at the Festival of Media Global conference. They first spotted each other over breakfast.
“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?’” she told Vanity Fair later. Ohanian was charming enough over coffee to get an invitation to her match, and she then invited him to meet her in Paris for the French Open.
Ohanian told Vanity Fair he decided it was worth the flight.
“Even if she blows me off and we don’t hang out, I'm still going to have an amazing time in Paris, and I'll have an even better story for all my childhood friends,” he said.
She didn't blow him off, and before her game, they took in the sights together, including the Eiffel Tower and La Ménagerie in the Jardin des Plantes.
September 2015
“Come at the queen, you best not miss,” Ohanian wrote on a post of Williams at the U.S. Open.
August 2016
Ohanian makes his first appearance on the tennis star's timeline, though it is a group shot.
November 2016
They have themed Halloween costumes which is very couple-y.
December 2016
Williams announced their engagement on Reddit, telling fans Ohanian proposed at the same hotel where they met in Rome, the Cavalieri Hotel.
“I came home. A little late. Someone had a bag packed for me. And a carriage waited. Destination: Rome,” she wrote. “To escort me to my very own ‘charming.’ Back to where our stars first collided. And now it was full circle. At the same table we first met by chance. But by choice. Down on knee. He said 4 words. And I said yes.”
January 2017
Williams showed off her engagement ring while at the Australian Open, once again on Reddit, writing, “Engagement shoe game.”
She was wearing Nikes.
At a post-match press conference, Williams was asked about her engagement and wedding plans. She told reporters, “It feels good. I really haven't thought about it too much, because I wasn't even really gonna think about it until after the tournament. So, I just keep saying, ‘February, I'll start looking at the bigger picture of my life.’ But right now I'm just so focused that this is all I can think about.”
She added, “He's incredible—a really nice person. I think he definitely treats everyone the same, which is really cool to see. Really, really nice to see.”
April 2017
Williams announced her pregnancy on Instagram, writing, “My Dearest Baby, You gave me the strength I didn't know I had. You taught me the true meaning of serenity and peace. I can't wait to meet you.”
September 2017
Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. was born in September 1, 2017. Her dad announced her birth on Instagram with some new Reddit avatar icons.
“Welcome, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr., we're so happy to meet you,” he wrote. “Our little girl is already mama's perfect sidekick.”
Years later, Williams came forward to tell the harrowing story of Olympia's birth, writing an opinion piece for CNN about how she nearly died when her heart rate plummeted during labor and she need an emergency c-section.
“Every mother, everywhere, regardless of race or background deserves to have a healthy pregnancy and birth,” Williams wrote.
For six days after the birth, Williams contended with multiple surgeries to recover from a pulmonary embolism.
November 2017
The couple were married in 2017 in New Orleans, and they had a star-studded event including Beyoncé, Jay Z, Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria, and tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.
January 2018
Baby Olympia appeared on Vogue's cover with her mom.
May 2018
Williams and Ohanian attend the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a friend of Williams since 2014.
September 2018
Ahead of her U.S. Open championship match, Ohanian shared a video of Williams, writing, “She fought for her life, for our child, for recognition, for equal pay, for women's rights. She never gives up. She's passionate and unrelenting and the most inspiring person I know.”
May 2019
The couple attended the Met Gala as cochairs, and Williams wore a bright yellow Versace gown.
September 2019
During New York Fashion Week, Williams told reporters, “Becoming a mom is something that I’ve always wanted to do, but I was getting older, and [it was] not really going to happen. I love being her mom, and it’s such a great feeling. For me, she’s the best thing that’s happened to me and I’ve had so many amazing things happen to me, so … that’s really saying a lot.”
February 2021
The couple's home was on display in Architectural Digest in February 2021, and Ohanian shared a memento that didn't make it into the spread after people freaked out about the extensive trophy room.
“Y'all geeked out over the trophy room in our home, but @serenawilliams didn't show you MY favorite grail in here,” he said. “It's from a 1 of 100 set of her rookie card. Eyes @OnlyAltOfficial.”
April 2021
Ohanian responded to fans who wonder how it feels to be known as “Serena Williams' husband” and said it's just fine by him.
May 2021
Ohanian said on CBS This Morning that he admires his wife's ability to balance all aspects of her life, which he struggles with.
“One thing that I'm still working on is balancing that with time off, with time away, with time to reset and recharge,” he said. “Something she's really good at is shutting it off and focusing on family time or personal time. I'm always a smart phone away from dipping back into a term sheet or dipping back into work. I certainly still get checked from time to time on that one because it's something that I want to be my best. I think we all do.”
August 2022
Shocking fans, Williams announced her retirement from tennis in the September issue of Vogue, partly because she was hoping to have more kids.
“In the last year, Alexis and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently got some information from my doctor that put my mind at ease and made me feel that whenever we’re ready, we can add to our family,” she wrote. “I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.”
November 2022
Way back in 2015, the rapper Drake was also in the stands for Williams' games, and it was rumored they were dating. Obviously, she ended up with someone else. In his album Her Loss, Drake mentioned the couple on his track “Middle of the Ocean.”
“Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie / He claim we don't got a problem but / No, boo, it is like you comin' for sushi,” he says.
Ohanian seem to be joking about the lyrics in a tweet about being his wife's groupie and loving it.
March 2023
“Having someone as special as Serena as a partner is a consistent reminder of self-improvement,” Ohanian told E! News in 2023. “I knew I have found someone I was going to spend the rest of my life with because she was someone who I knew I would never outgrow.”
May 2023
Williams wore her baby bump and custom Gucci to the 2023 Met Gala, announcing the couple's second pregnancy.
In an interview with Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?, Ohanian said he hopes to be a “girl dad,” though they don't officially know the sex of the baby to come.
“I'm convinced I'm gonna be a girl dad. So even if we have you know, 50 more kids they're all going to be girls,” he said.
They also shared the moment they gave Olympia the news she'd be a big sister on Instagram.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.
