Is motherhood more challenging than winning a grand slam title? Well, who else can give this answer better than the 23-time Grand Slam champion, and also a mother of two, Serena Williams? When Olympia was born, it was a life-changing moment. And ever since, we’ve seen Williams redefine how most see motherhood. Taking care of her child while on the treadmill? No problem. Running a business? She can do it without breaking a sweat. Highlighting all of these, she once claimed, “As a mom, I’m actually way more active than what I was during tennis.” During her playing days, tennis was her “biggest love,” but now she’s often seen hailing her two daughters as her “biggest love.” But this journey of motherhood is a mix of joyful and painful days..

Serena Williams welcomed her daughter Olympia on September 1, 2017, and then in August 2023, she gave birth to her second child, Adira. Previously, in 2018, during an interview with E! Online, she shared her experience of motherhood by saying, “I dedicated that to all the moms out there who have been through a lot. Some days, I cry. I am really sad. I have had meltdowns. It has been a really tough 11 months. If I can do it, you guys can do it too. I still have to learn a balance of being there for her and being there for me. I’m working on it. I never understood women before, when they put themselves in second or third place. And it’s so easy to do. It’s so easy to do.“

From her playing days to managing her different business ventures after her retirement, the 43-year-old tennis star still maintains an active lifestyle. But when it comes to making a balance between those things and her family life, her husband, Alexis Ohanian, claims that Williams is really good at shutting it off and focusing on family time and personal time. But at times, even the super-mom tends to surrender to their little kids! How?

For example, Serena Williams recently shared a painful motherhood revelation, tending to her little daughter, Adira, on her IG handle. In a recently uploaded video, Williams was spotted walking alongside Adira in a corridor. She captioned that post with, “Can you believe this little cutie @adiraohanian had me out at 1 am last night, hopping around the streets of Berlin? Jet lag is real.“

Interestingly, even her husband, Alexis Ohanian, also dropped a comment on that post saying, “Papa said Go to bed, little girl!” However, this wasn’t the first time that she had shared her struggles as a mother. Even in October 2024, she posted a reel highlighting what the expectations of a mother are and how different it is from reality. Amid all these, Alexis Ohanian recently also shared an adorable moment with Adira.

Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, introduces Adira to their pancake traditions

Serena Williams and her family love cooking! Just a few weeks ago, she was spotted partnering with Olympia and American singer Trisha Yearwood for a fun cooking adventure. She even shared a glimpse of that moment on her social media account with the caption, “How fun and how cute to share a stage with @olympiaohanian. She kinda stole the show tbh. I had an incredible time collaborating with @trishayearwood cooking up some delicious peach glazed chicken tacos 🌮 what a memorable culinary adventure! Check out these pics.” But after seeing this picture, Alexis Ohanian joked that he felt left out, “Having too much fun.“

Talking about fun, well, every weekend is fun for Ohanian and his family, and guess what? Their Papa Pancakes tradition has now become a popular thing on social media. Every weekend, he goes to the kitchen to prepare pancakes for his daughters, a tradition he inherited from his father. He loves transforming pancake batter into creative designs from intricate food, shapes like hamburgers or waffles, or even Disney Princesses, to impress her elder daughter, Olympia. It has now become their go-to breakfast.

But do you know he also uses pancakes as an educational tool for Olympia? Well, once Serena Williams’ husband admitted, “When Olympia was little and couldn’t really speak, I’d make alphabet letters in the pancakes for every letter in her name. I can’t take all the credit for her learning to read, but pancakes definitely played a part.” When did this tradition of pancakes start between Ohanian and his daughters?

Well, in December 2022, he shared a video clip of a pancake-making session with their elder daughter on IG, and he then captioned it with, “Our first daddy-daughter pancake collab.” However, now the torch seems to have passed to the next generation. Previously, Olympia was spotted making her own design pancakes, and now Adira joins that list!

Just a few days ago, Alexis Ohanian shared a video of Olympia making an elaborate pancake design on his IG story. Following that, he even shared an adorable glimpse of holding Adira in his lap while helping her make a pancake. He captioned that post with, “Gotta start ‘em young.” Share your thoughts on these heartwarming moments of parenthood, featuring Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian.