Serena Williams Husband: Who Is Alexis Ohanian?
Serena Williams' husband is Alexis Ohanian, the tech entrepreneur and Reddit co-founder she married on November 16, 2017, in a lavish Beauty and the Beast-themed ceremony in New Orleans. Their love story began with one of the most famous chance encounters in modern celebrity history: in May 2015, Ohanian sat down at the wrong table — hers — at the Cavalieri hotel in Rome, and the tennis legend invited the stranger to watch her play the Italian Open. A year and a half later, he proposed at that same hotel, at that same table. The "serena williams husband" question endures because Ohanian is a genuinely fascinating figure in his own right — not a celebrity spouse riding coattails, but a founder who sold Reddit, built a venture capital firm, and became one of Silicon Valley's most visible advocates for paid family leave and girls' sports.
Nearly a decade into the marriage, they are parents to two daughters — Olympia (born 2017) and Adira River (born 2023) — and one of the most admired power couples in sports and tech, in the company of famous pairings like Harry and Meghan.
Quick Facts: Alexis Ohanian
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Alexis Kerry Ohanian |
| Born / Age | April 24, 1983 — 43 years old (as of Oct 2026) |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn, New York |
| Profession | Tech entrepreneur, investor; Reddit co-founder |
| Net Worth | Not publicly verified by a top-tier outlet |
| Spouse | Serena Williams (married Nov 16, 2017) |
| Children | Two daughters: Olympia and Adira River |
| Education | University of Virginia (history, commerce) |
| Known For | Co-founding Reddit; founding the VC firm 776 |
Who Is Alexis Ohanian?
Alexis Ohanian was born on April 24, 1983, in Brooklyn, New York, to a German mother and an Armenian-American father whose own parents fled the Armenian genocide. Raised in Ellicott City, Maryland, he was a self-described tech-obsessed kid who originally planned to become a lawyer — until he walked out of an LSAT prep course, sat in a Waffle House, and had what he calls "the Waffle House epiphany": he didn't want to be a lawyer; he wanted to "make a dent in the universe."
At the University of Virginia, he and roommate Steve Huffman pitched a mobile food-ordering app to the startup accelerator Y Combinator. It was rejected — but YC's Paul Graham invited them into the program anyway and told them to build "the front page of the internet." They did it in three weeks. They called it Reddit.
Sixteen months later, they sold Reddit to Condé Nast for a reported $10–20 million. Ohanian returned as executive chairman in 2014, helped grow the company toward a $10 billion valuation, and resigned from the board in June 2020 in the wake of George Floyd's murder — asking that his seat be filled by a Black director, which Reddit did.
He went on to found the venture capital firm Initialized Capital (2016) and then his own firm, 776, in 2021, which backs early-stage startups. In recent years he has also become a prominent investor in women's sports, founding the Athlos women's track event and speaking widely about the business case for investing in female athletes.
The Love Story: Rome, the Proposal, and the Wedding
The timeline, as documented by People, The Knot, and the couple themselves:
- May 2015 — Ohanian sits at Williams' table at the Cavalieri hotel in Rome. She invites him to the Italian Open; he flies to Paris to watch her at the French Open weeks later.
- September 2015 — He cheers her on at the US Open, posting "Come at the queen, you best not miss."
- December 2016 — He proposes at the Cavalieri in Rome — at the very table where they met.
- September 1, 2017 — Their first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., is born.
- November 16, 2017 — The wedding: a Beauty and the Beast-themed celebration at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, with guests including Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Anna Wintour. Williams arrived in a horse-drawn carriage.
- August 15, 2023 — Second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, is born.
Fatherhood and Family Life
Ohanian has leaned hard into the "dad" identity — arguably harder than any male tech founder of his generation. He has written and spoken extensively about taking the full 16 weeks of paid paternity leave after Olympia's birth, becoming a national advocate for paid family leave in the United States.
In a September 2026 interview with USA Sports, covered by People, he described the "one rule" he and Williams have for their daughters: they don't care what the girls do when they grow up, "as long as you do your best at it and you're doing something useful." Olympia, now 9, is reportedly circling fashion design as a dream career; Adira is 3. The family's glimpses — ballet recitals, golf lessons with dad, red-carpet appearances — consistently show a hands-on father who treats parenting as his second full-time job.
Serena Williams: The Legend He Married
For context: Serena Williams, born September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan, is 45 as of October 2026 and arguably the greatest tennis player of all time — 23 Grand Slam singles titles (an Open Era record), 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with sister Venus, 4 Olympic gold medals, and 39 Grand Slam titles overall. Her generational dominance set the template that today's women's sports icons, like basketball star Caitlin Clark, are now following. She "evolved away" from professional tennis in 2022 and has since built a venture capital portfolio through Serena Ventures, which invests heavily in women- and minority-founded startups.
Her business turn mirrors her husband's: the couple are now both full-time investors, and their combined influence spans sports, tech, and venture capital — the kind of dual-career household wealth also documented in our Kelly Ripa net worth profile.
Why This Marriage Fascinates
Most athlete-celebrity marriages pair fame with fame. This one pairs two different kinds of power: the greatest women's tennis player ever and the man who built one of the internet's defining platforms. Ohanian's willingness to be publicly, unapologetically devoted — the proposal at the original table, the paternity-leave advocacy, the "one rule" parenting — has made him a rare thing: a celebrity husband famous in his own right, for his own accomplishments, who also happens to be his wife's biggest fan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Serena Williams' husband?
Serena Williams' husband is Alexis Ohanian, the tech entrepreneur who co-founded Reddit in 2005 and later founded the venture capital firm 776. They married on November 16, 2017.
When did Serena Williams get married?
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian married on November 16, 2017, in a Beauty and the Beast-themed ceremony at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans.
How did Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian meet?
They met in May 2015 at the Cavalieri hotel in Rome, when Ohanian sat down at Williams' table by chance. She invited him to watch her play the Italian Open, and he proposed at that same hotel — at the same table — in December 2016.
How many children do Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian have?
Two daughters: Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., born September 1, 2017, and Adira River Ohanian, born August 15, 2023.
What is Alexis Ohanian known for?
He co-founded Reddit with Steve Huffman in 2005, sold it to Condé Nast, returned as executive chairman, and later founded the VC firms Initialized Capital and 776. He is also a prominent advocate for paid family leave and an investor in women's sports, including the Athlos track event.
How old is Alexis Ohanian?
Alexis Ohanian was born on April 24, 1983, making him 43 years old as of October 2026 — about a year and a half younger than Williams, who is 45.
