Serena Williams Is Getting Hate for Her Build, but Alexis Ohanian Stands by His Wife and Thinks She’s the Most Attractive Woman

Serena Williams has often had to listen to comments about her build. The famous tennis player can stand up for herself, but it’s nice to see her husband take her side and help in fighting off the haters with the perfect joke, or even a straight-forward comment.

Serena Williams has often been criticised for her appearance

As a child, Serena was often compared to her older sister, Venus, who also had a brilliant career in tennis. Serena was sometimes told that she should have been born a boy, as she was so strong and muscular. Venus, on the other hand, was tall, slim and had long legs. Serena later realized that they were both beautiful in their own way, but in her youth, these comments about her looks caused her a lot of anguish.

Serena admits that when she was younger she dreamed of losing weight and being a size 4. Even her rivals on the tennis court would sometimes complain that Williams was too muscular and literally overwhelmed them with her power during the game. It was not easy for the tennis player to compete, knowing that critics were now discussing her build, weight, and outfits rather than her athletic prowess. But she eventually realized that she simply had to accept herself and learn to love her figure. After all, it was her perfectly toned and trained body that helped her win quite a few competitions.

Williams has long since abandoned her ideas about being a size 4, but she has no regrets about once dreaming of changing herself. Now Serena can tell her daughter how much she worried about her appearance. “Now I’m happy with who I am and what I am and what I look like. Olympia was born and she had my arms, and instead of being sad and fearful about what people would say about her, I was just so happy,” said the tennis player. Williams believes you don’t have to be an Olympic champion to be proud of yourself and your figure. After all, only the individual has the right to judge their own appearance.

Alexis doesn’t hesitate to stand up for his wife

But in recent years, Serena hasn’t had to fend off her critics alone. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, not only genuinely admires the long way his other half has come to be recognized in sports, but he also reacts strongly to any insulting remarks, always defending his wife. And he’s not the least bit embarrassed when people snidely refer to him as “Mr. Williams.”

The owner of the professional tennis tournament Mutua Madrid Open once said that the famous athlete should retire. He remarked that a woman of her age and weight would find it difficult to maintain the same pace on the court, so if Williams really respected herself, she would leave the sport. Ohanian was always ready to stand up for his loved ones, so he responded rather sharply to the businessman. Alexis noted that the message was incorrect from many points of view.

This was not the first time Ohanian was quick to stand up for his wife. Alexis says Serena’s fortitude and perseverance inspire him to do many things, driving him forward. Many believe all these achievements come easily to Williams, unaware of her struggle and torment behind the façade of luxury. So Ohanian believes it’s up to him to tell the world about his courageous wife.

He knows what it’s like to be laughed at

Alexis was large as a child, and suffered a lot of ridicule because of it. He was teased mercilessly at school and could have easily ended up with low self-esteem or other psychological problems had he not been so involved in computers and video games. To avoid bullying, Ohanian was the first to make jokes about his own appearance, which disarmed his opponents.

But while such tactics worked with boys, with girls it was much more difficult. For instance, a pretty schoolmate nearly broke the boy’s heart when she refused to go to a party with him. According to the girl, he was too fat to dance. However, his childhood fascination with computers later helped Ohanian to co-found the Reddit platform, so he has few regrets about his teenage troubles and misfortunes.

Ohanian never gets tired of admiring his wife

Alexis admits he has always admired strong people, regardless of their gender. Getting to know Serena not only turned him into a keen tennis fan, but also brought Ohanian’s attention to the position of women in sports. Knowing how many difficulties Williams has had to overcome on her way to fame, he decided to help other female athletes achieve recognition.

That’s how Alexis became one of the major investors in Angel City FC. It’s thanks to his support that the team finally made it to the National Women’s Football League. Ohanian actively encourages others to invest in women’s sports, as that’s where he sees the future heading.

Even six years into their marriage, Alexis still admires his wife. He often dedicates posts to Serena on social media and comments on her posts in turn. Whatever outfit his beloved wears, she’s always the most attractive woman to him. When Williams decided to leave sports in 2022, Ohanian supported her unconditionally.

Serena herself doesn’t like to think of her leaving the court as retirement. She prefers to call it “natural progression.” At this stage, she has parted ways with tennis, but perhaps she will return to it in the future. For now, Alexis and Serena plan to focus on their family and try to give Olympia a sibling.