20 of Serena Williams’ Most Adorable Motherhood Moments
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Serena Williams at the TIME100 Gala held at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images
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Serena Williams is the ultimate girl mom. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has had many sweet and memorable motherhood moments with her daughters Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. (known as Olympia), born in Sept. 2017, and Adira River Ohanian, born in Aug. 2023. The girls, who Williams shares with husband Alexis Ohanian, are mainstays on their mom’s Instagram grid. And they are already just as talented as their mom, making name for themselves as little fashionistas, athletes, and dancing queens to boot. (Plus, they are already best friends like Williams is with her sister Venus Williams!)
Olympia and Adira have been known to wear stylish matching outfits, cheer for their mom, engage in the occasional lightsaber fight, have some fun nighttime parties and so, so much more. Williams has shared everything from heartfelt times to parenting struggles throughout the years, making parents everywhere feel encouraged and less alone.
“I don’t know if I’m a good mom, and I don’t know if my method works, but I’m very hands-on with my daughter, and it was the same with our parents,” Williams said in a 2022 interview with Insider. Still, if her photos and videos are any indication, this athlete is absolutely nailing her parenting methods. We’re counting down some of the best motherhood moments between Williams and Olympia and Adira. Prepare to feel all the feelings when you see this tennis star and her little mini-mes together!
A version of this article was originally published in Jan. 2022.
Juggling It All
As a busy mom, Williams has a lot of things she has to juggle. She recently shared a video of her and her daughters playing together and running around.
“My life is very different now. Instead of chasing balls, I’m chasing #Adira and helping #Olympia with tennis lessons and cooking. (And, all this is in-between Venture Capital calls),” she captioned the adorable (and exhausting!) video.
Encouraging Self-Confidence
Williams works to encourage self-confidence in her girls and others. In a 2024 interview with Entertainment Tonight, she shared, “For me, it’s super important for them to love who they are and whatever they look like.”
“I also foster that positivity by encouraging them to give others compliments, especially other girls compliments,” she continued.
And she models that behavior for them. “So if I see a girl in their class, I’m like, ‘Oh, she looks pretty, right?’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, I like her hair.’ I’m like, ‘I like her hair, too.’ So just kind of encouraging that, because it doesn’t matter what they look like.”
Evolving Idea of Beauty
The Wyn Beauty founder credits motherhood with changing her idea of beauty.
“The way I talk to myself about beauty has certainly changed throughout my life, and it will continue to evolve,” she told Byrdie in 2024. “Motherhood has allowed me to look at beauty through the eyes of my daughter, Olympia. We’re always experimenting with makeup together, and I think about how these moments will be part of both of our beauty journeys.”
She also wants to encourage her daughters to follow their passions.
“I want my daughters to look at my career and learn that being authentic to themselves is really the most important thing,” she told the outlet. “You don’t have to be the best as long as you do your best. I also hope my daughters see how many different passions I have — from tennis to beauty — and learn that they can lead dynamic careers and lives across their many interests.”
Olympia Bragging About Her Mom
When Williams was named Glamour’s 2024 Woman of the Year, she shared a sweet story about her daughter bragging about her.
“The other day Olympia said, ‘My mom is the most famous tennis player in the world. She’s the best to ever play tennis.’ I was like, ‘Who told you that?’” Williams said.
“Okay, it made me feel really good,” Williams added with a laugh. “She was so proud.”
Disney Trip
There’s nothing like a Disney vacation with your kids! It’s a rite of passage for parents, and one that Williams got to experience in Dec. 2024.
“There’s nothing like a quick family trip to @disneyparks,” she captioned a post on Instagram. “[There’s] no place like Disney 😊”
Recognizing Her Own Worth
Williams knows she does a good job as a mother. “I’m a wonderful mom,” Williams told TIME in 2025. “I think we, as women, don’t give ourselves credit, but I’m a great mom. I really am. I do everything. I’m freaking the room mom at Olympia’s school this year.”
We love a confident queen!
Fashion Collaboration
Serena Williams’ daughters Olympia and Adira joined her to help model her new Serena Williams x Janie and Jack collection in March 2025.
“As a longtime fan of Janie and Jack, I’m thrilled to bring this collection to life alongside my girls,” Williams said in a statement. “Every piece is designed to celebrate family, style, and the special moments we share together. I poured so much love into this collection and can’t wait for families everywhere to experience it.”
The girls looked adorable as they posed in matching pink polka dots from the collection.
Defending Adira
When Adira gets bullied by her older sister, Williams jumps in to protect her (because she’s a younger sister too!).
“When Olympia tells Adira no, I’m just like, ‘Excuse me, you have to share’ because it’s triggering,” she told TIME in 2025.
Out of Town Connection
When she goes out of town, Williams has a special ritual for her daughter. “If I ever have to go out of town I make sure I write a lot of letters for Olympia to find,” Williams wrote on TikTok. “Under her bed, in her classroom, in her backpack, at dinner, at breakfast.”
“I think ultimately she gets tired of me 🤪,” she added.
Retiring from Tennis
Serena Williams is a tennis GOAT, but she decided to retire to focus on motherhood. Part of the reason she was ready to retire was so that she could get pregnant. “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,” Williams wrote in an article for Vogue. “I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.”
She added that Olympia wanted another sibling as well. “Olympia says this a lot, even when she knows I’m listening,” Williams wrote. “Sometimes before bed, she prays to Jehovah to bring her a baby sister. (She doesn’t want anything to do with a boy!) I’m the youngest of five sisters myself, and my sisters are my heroes, so this has felt like a moment I need to listen very carefully to.”
In 2025, she told TIME that it was worth it.
“I just can’t peel myself away from these children,” she said. “Another reason I had to transition [out of tennis] was because I wanted to have more kids. And I look at Adira and I’m like, ‘Was it worth it?’ I literally thought about it the other day. I was like, ‘Yeah, it was definitely worth it.’”
Writing a Book
The proud mom captured her motherhood moments in a book. That’s right, Williams wrote her own children’s book (and released a matching doll!) inspired by her daughter’s doll.
“Qai Qai is a special member of our family and we hope The Adventures of Qai Qai will give others a new way to welcome Qai Qai into their own home,” Williams said about her book, The Adventures of Qai Qai.
Nighttime Shenanigans
Serena and Olympia Williams have an adorable bedtime routine. In a carousel of mirror selfies, we see that their “nighttime shenanigans” include matching jammies, jumping around, stretching, and finding their zen.
Cuddling With Her Mini-Me
Olympia is always there for her mom, both on and off the court. In an Instagram post, Williams shared photos from her “treatment” (possibly some kind of massage). While mama lies on the table, her mini-me squeezes in for cuddles.
“Whenever I get treatment @olympiaohanian wants to be there too. So cute 💞.”
Twinning
Serena Williams and Olympia are the ultimate fashionistas, and every time they twin, we’re seeing double!
The duo have worn so many adorable matching outfits — from neon pink turtleneck dresses for an Instagram photoshoot to t-shirts and pink skirts as they showed off their dance moves.
And then there was that time that they both rocked the same Nike workout clothes, fashioned after Williams’s 2021 Australian Open look. “Next?” the tennis star captioned the fierce photo.
Playing Tennis Together
We will never get over this video of Williams and Olympia playing tennis. Let’s just say a tiny pro is officially born.
“Sometimes it be ya own mini!” Williams captioned the footage. Oh yeah, and they were wearing matching outfits to boot because, natch.
In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Williams explained that she hired a private instructer for her mini tennis player. The athletic world better watch out.
Playdates
Williams and Olympia’s playdates are filled with so much love and imagination. In 2022, the tennis star shared a video of herself carrying a baby doll and her daughter dressed in a Snow White costume.
“Olympia, we having fun with our babies?” Williams asked her little one.
“Uh huh,” Olympia responded.
“You wanna keep playing with our babies?” Williams inquired.
“Yeah!”
“Okay,” Williams said. “What adventure are we gonna do next?”
Be still our hearts.
Number 1 Fan
Olympia loves to show her mom support when she takes to the court. She’s frequently spotted cheering on Williams from the stands and snuggling up with her mom after the match is over.
When Williams took part in this Wimbledon Championships this past July, her daughter came along with her and got in on all the excitement. “@olympiaohanian loves her afternoon tea and cheering for mama. #PinkiesUp 🫖,” Williams wrote alongside snapshots of their international journey.
‘Star Wars’ Fans
Why yes, Williams and Olympia did have a lightsaber fight. The clip, which was posted to Instagram in January 2022, shows the mother-daughter duo going head-to-head with their colorful, flashing weapons of choice. “Single camera one shot battle Royal with @olympiaohanian,” Williams captioned the footage.
Spoiler alert: Olympia won this battle (!) and the whole thing is ridiculously adorable.
Date Night
Mother-daughter snuggle evenings for the win! Williams shared a snapshot of Olympia cozying into her as the two enjoyed a dinner out together.
“NY Date nights @olympiaohanian,” the athlete wrote alongside the cute photo. We’re so here for the 5-year-old tucked inside her mom’s comfy lime green sweater.
Dance Party
Bedtime is so much more fun in the Williams-Ohanian household. The tennis star shared a video of herself dancing with Olympia in matching pajamas as they got ready for some shut-eye. A dance party > any other nighttime ritual.
“Time to turn in, and turn up with my bestie 💁🏾♀️🙇🏽♀️,” Williams wrote alongside the clip.
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