Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian sees himself in WNBA star Hailey Van Lith’s father as he plans for daughters Olympia & Adira’s sports entry

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian (left), Hailey Van Lith (right), Sources: GettySerena Williams and Alexis Ohanian (left), Hailey Van Lith (right), Sources: Getty

Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, who also happens to be a loving and proud father of the happily-married couple’s two daughters, Olympia and Adira, recently imagined how his behavior would make people “sick” if either of them play sports in the future. Ohanian’s take stemmed from a celebration of WNBA star Hailey Van Lith’s father, which went viral earlier this year.

In March, Van Lith, representing the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs’ women’s basketball team in the NCAA Division I tournament’s Sweet Sixteen, produced a moment of magic to score a crucial three-pointer against Notre Dame. Her father Corey, who was in attendance, subsequently performed an energetic dance and proceeded to high-five and chest-bump his daughter’s boyfriend, Jalen Suggs.

The moment went viral, and reacting to it recently, Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:

“Yall are gonna be SO sick of me if either of my girls play sports… 😆”

Ohanian, apart from being one of the co-founders of Reddit and a renowned entrepreneur and investor, has gone to great lengths to work for growing women’s sports. Earlier this year, the 42-year-old spoke up about how his interest in women’s sports was sparked by an impactful thought shared by his wife revolving around a potential future for Olympia in professional sports.

Alexis Ohanian revealed how Serena Williams’ words about potential sporting future for daughter Olympia motivated him to invest in women’s sports

Serena Williams, Olympia Ohanian and Alexis Ohanian at the 2024 Paris Olympics (Source: Getty)Serena Williams, Olympia Ohanian and Alexis Ohanian at the 2024 Paris Olympics (Source: Getty)

In a video interview with NBC News, which was later shared by the official X handle of ATHLOS, a lucrative track-and-field event founded by Alexis Ohanian, the successful entrepreneur revisited how wife Serena Williams inspired him to invest in women’s sports.

Recalling a candid conversation with the former World No. 1 women’s tennis player and 23-time singles Major champion about daughter Olympia potentially pursuing a career in professional sports, Ohanian said:

“Yeah, well credit to Serena. I was like, ‘Hey, you know, Serena, wouldn’t it be nice one day if one day Olympia played on the national tier’, and without missing a beat, Serena was like, ‘Not until they pay her what she’s worth’, and I’m like, ‘Challenge accepted’.”

Alexis Ohanian, backed through and through by Serena Williams, has overseen the success of multiple investments in women’s sports over the years, including NWSL side Angel City FC and ATHLOS. He also acquired a minority stake in the Chelsea FC women’s team earlier this year and more recently announced the formation of the League One Volleyball (LOVB) Los Angeles team.