It started with a hangover. Honestly. Not exactly the storybook beginning people expect when they talk about one of the most influential power couples on the planet. Most folks assume a tennis legend like Serena Williams and a tech mogul like Alexis Ohanian would meet at some high-end gala or an exclusive Silicon Valley mixer.
Nope. It was a table. A table at the Cavalieri Hotel in Rome.
The Rome Meeting That Almost Didn't Happen
Serena was in Italy for the Italian Open in 2015. Alexis was there for a tech conference. He sat down at a table right next to her group by the pool. Serena's team—specifically her agent—tried to get him to leave by claiming there was a rat near his chair.
"There’s a rat. You don’t want to sit there," they told him.
Alexis didn't budge. He basically just shrugged and said he was from Brooklyn and saw rats all the time. That nonchalance? That's what got Serena’s attention. She ended up inviting him to her table because his "I don't care about your fake rat" energy was apparently refreshing.
It’s wild to think about. If Alexis had been more of a "polite" tech guy and moved to another table, the landscape of sports and venture capital might look totally different today.
Why the "Opposites Attract" Narrative is Kinda Wrong
People love to pigeonhole them. She’s the GOAT of tennis. He’s the "Mayor of the Internet" and the co-founder of Reddit. On paper, it looks like a clash of worlds. But if you look closer at their careers, they’re basically the same person in different skins.
Both are obsessively competitive.
Serena’s drive on the court is well-documented. We’re talking about 23 Grand Slam titles. But Alexis has that same frantic, building-at-3-AM energy. When he started Reddit with Steve Huffman, it wasn't a guaranteed hit. It was a scrappy, ugly, text-heavy site that succeeded because of sheer persistence.
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They’re both builders.
They didn't just meet and settle into a quiet life. Since getting married in 2017, they’ve become a massive economic engine. Alexis stepped down from the Reddit board in 2020, specifically urging them to hire a Black candidate to replace him—a move deeply influenced by his marriage and his desire to look his daughter, Olympia, in the eye.
Business, Babies, and the Reddit Legacy
Most people don't realize how much Serena has pivoted into the world of venture capital. Through Serena Ventures, she has funded over 60 companies. She isn't just a celebrity name on a pitch deck; she’s looking at cap tables and burn rates.
It’s interesting.
Alexis probably helped bridge that gap, but Serena has always had a business mind. She was investing long before it was the "cool" thing for athletes to do. Together, they’ve turned their personal brand into a blueprint for how modern celebrities handle wealth.
Then there’s Angel City FC.
This is where the two worlds really collided. Alexis is the lead investor in the Los Angeles-based NWSL team. Serena is an investor. Even their daughter, Olympia, is a part-owner. They aren't just buying houses; they’re buying leagues. They are fundamentally changing how women's sports are valued by treating them as a high-growth tech product rather than a charity project.
The Realistic Side of a High-Profile Marriage
It isn't all Instagram filters and Grand Slam trophies. Serena has been very vocal about the fact that "marriage is not a gift." It’s work. You’ve got two people who are used to being the absolute boss of their respective domains suddenly having to negotiate who's picking up the slack at home.
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Serena’s retirement—or "evolution," as she called it in Vogue—was a huge turning point.
She had to choose between continuing to chase Margaret Court's record or growing her family and her business. That's a heavy Choice. Alexis has been the primary "cheerleader," often seen in the stands wearing shirts with Serena’s face on them or holding Olympia.
It’s a role reversal that still feels "new" to a lot of people. The tech guy being the support system for the superstar athlete? It works for them because Alexis seems to have zero ego about his wife being the more famous person in the room.
The 2026 Perspective: Where They Are Now
As we sit here in 2026, the Ohanian-Williams household looks a lot different than it did during the 2015 Rome era. They have two daughters now, Olympia and Adira.
The focus has shifted.
Serena is fully a "tech mogul" now. Her venture fund is one of the most active in the space, focusing on diversity and underrepresented founders. She’s proving that the discipline it takes to win Wimbledon is the same discipline it takes to win in a Series A round.
Alexis, meanwhile, is doubling down on 776, his venture capital firm. He’s moving away from the "social media guy" label and leaning into being a climate-tech and space-tech investor. He’s obsessed with the future—specifically a future his daughters can actually live in.
They’ve also become the face of "paid family leave" advocacy. Alexis has been a loud voice for men taking their full paternity leave, arguing that it’s not just a "mom issue" but a business productivity issue.
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What You Can Learn From the Ohanian-Williams Dynamic
If you’re looking at them and wondering how to apply their "success" to your own life, it’s not about the millions of dollars. It’s about the synergy.
- Find a partner who isn't intimidated by your light. If Alexis had wanted to be the "biggest" person in the room, that marriage would have imploded during the first set of the 2017 Australian Open (which Serena won while pregnant, by the way).
- Diversify before you have to. Serena started her venture fund while she was still at the top of the tennis world. She didn't wait until she was "done" to figure out what was next.
- Values over optics. Their decision to invest in women's soccer wasn't a "PR move." It was a calculated business bet that women's sports were undervalued. They were right.
Practical Steps for Emulating Their Success
You don't need a billion dollars to think like Serena and Alexis.
Start by looking at your "circle." Are you surrounding yourself with people who challenge your industry assumptions? Serena didn't just hang out with tennis players; she started hanging out with tech founders. That cross-pollination of ideas is where the magic happens.
Next, look at your investments—not just financial, but your time. Alexis spends a massive amount of time on "unscalable" things, like building doll brands (Qai Qai) for his daughter. It seems like a distraction, but it actually builds a deeper connection with his audience and his family.
Finally, be willing to be the "uncool" person in the room. Remember the Rome story? Alexis was the guy sitting by himself at a table, ignoring a "rat" warning. He was comfortable being awkward.
Being comfortable in your own skin—whether you’re on a center court or in a boardroom—is the ultimate power move.
Actionable Insight: Auditing your current network is the first step toward a "power couple" mindset. Identify three people outside your primary industry whom you can learn from this month. Reach out. Don't worry about looking "out of place." If the co-founder of Reddit can sit at a table he wasn't invited to and end up marrying the greatest athlete of all time, you can probably handle a LinkedIn message.
Focus on building "equity" in your relationships and your projects, rather than just chasing a paycheck. That's the real legacy of Serena and Alexis. It’s not about the fame; it’s about the ownership.