Would Serena Williams want Olympia to play tennis? Of course, yes! In fact, Williams was left annoyed when her daughter showed more preference towards soccer. “I’m not pro-soccer, I’m like pro tennis. So the fact that Olympia was playing soccer, I was already salty about that,” she revealed.
But what did her husband, Alexis Ohanian, do about it? Well, he went on to purchase the Angel City FC team. Talking about this on Bloomberg Originals, the tennis star stated, “I think he [Ohanian] kind of did that deal [Angel City FC purchase]to make me mad. Because I’m like, let’s do something in tennis because obviously, let’s amplify tennis.”
The co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian, invested in the currently valued $180 million Angel City FC six years ago. However, along with promoting the women’s soccer team, the reason behind the purchase also had a personal touch to it. Williams’ husband Ohanian once spoke about his daughter, Olympia’s love for soccer as a child. During the 2019 World Cup, when the women’s national team was playing, young Olympia was cheering for the team at her house. This inspired him to invest in a soccer team, in which his oldest daughter also holds a share.
But coming back to Serena Williams, she has always been vocal about wanting Olympia to play tennis. She once said, “I really want her to play at least a little bit.” And quite a few times, fans have witnessed the mother-daughter duo play tennis. Back during the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams started introducing Olympia to tennis. “Honestly, we started because it’s a socially safe sport, and when COVID happened, it was like, we’re just in the house with a 3-year-old, what do we do?”
However, Olympia was more interested in playing soccer, as stated by her father. And her passion was further accentuated by Ohanian’s investment in the soccer club. Olympia Ohanian even showcased her soccer prowess while participating in mock drills with Angel City FC. In a video posted to Olympia’s official Instagram page, she displayed her exceptional footwork on the pitch prior to scoring a goal.
And so, in 2022, briefly after retirement, Williams made her debut as a soccer mom and attended soccer practice with Olympia. But those days are far gone. Serena Williams revealed an interesting update on Olympia’s athletic interests. What could it be?
“She does like tennis,” Serena Williams finds a bit of hope
Serena Williams, who previously revealed how Olympia was “really good” at playing tennis, has some good news for her continued legacy. In the same podcast discussion, she revealed later on, “Olympia does not like soccer anymore. Well, for now, she has changed her mind a lot. She does like tennis a little bit more.” This comes after Williams shared how disappointed she felt about Olympia not liking tennis last year.
Well, Olympia is only 6. It seems she is exploring different interests as a child. She even tried out mini golf a while back. Will she want to dedicate herself to a sports career like her mother? Only the future can tell. However, it is clear that Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian want to provide her with the necessary experience and knowledge if she wants to take up sports seriously in the future.
Did you know that the Williams’ daughter has other interests apart from sports? Ballet and VR Gaming are two such things. Both parents love seeing their daughter indulge in creative and athletic interests. “On the creative side, she loves to dance. I guess dance is a little bit of both. Maybe that’s where she’ll land — somewhere in the creative end and athletic … Like any parent, we just want her to have fun, and we’re fortunate enough to be able to expose her to anything she could be interested in,” Ohanian said about Olympia.
