December 2018: Venus Williams and her sister, Serena, were engrossed in a friendly match trying to outdo each other at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC). Throngs of people had come to see the sport’s most iconic duo battle each other—with Venus finally triumphing 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. But the most special presence in the court was a barely one-year-old child enthusiastically clapping every time she saw others do so, despite her mother losing. Little Olympia was perched on her father, Alexis Ohanian’s lap, and every time she clapped, Ohanian would give a shy smile.

As the moment went viral, the Reddit co-founder later took to Instagram to share a video of the incident. ” @olympiaohanian is such a good sport she clapped for every point — whether it was mama @serenawilliams or auntie @venuswilliams,” wrote the entrepreneur. And this is exactly how Venus and Alexis’ relationship has been: Endearing and respectful. When Ohanian married into the Williams family, he knew a large part of his wife’s life comprised her sister. Outside of their professional camaraderie that saw 22 doubles titles wins together—including 14 majors and three Olympic gold medals, the older sister has been Serena’s “rock”. 

From stunning the world with their on-court partnerships since they were merely 14 or 15 years old, to Venus Williams cheering her sister on the latter’s way to countless achievements and world domination, there wasn’t a single noteworthy moment when the world didn’t witness their closeness. As Alexis Ohanian became the third member of that group in 2017, it wasn’t a role he took too lightly. Accepting “V”—what Ohanian sometimes addresses Venus as—as his own sister, the investor has cheered on her the same way as has Serena. And he took that role up once again…

Recently, the 44-year-old added another feather to her hat by writing another book, ‘Strive: 8 Steps to Find Your Awesome’. The book, which encapsulates the tennis player’s journey to the top and shares “my passion for helping people live their best lives comes from the incredible support I’ve received throughout my own career, and the desire to pay that forward”, released on September 10.

As expected, the 41-year-old had the sweetest message for his sister-in-law. After her debut book Come to Win in 2010, Williams was invested in bringing her second publication to life, drawing insights from her incredible career, now spanning 30 years. Following tons of support from entities like Swarovski, Harper’s Bazaar, Business Traveler, Good Morning America, and countless Instagram posts, Williams received one of her life’s biggest highlights.

Alexis shared a selfie with the book on his official Instagram story. Showing off the book with a big smile, the Reddit co-founder wrote, “@venuswilliams with another bestseller.” Needless to say, this compliment meant huge for Venus Williams and the 5x Olympic gold medalist shared it on her IG story with a sweet message, “Thank bro!” She added three overflowing pink heart emojis showcasing her happiness on Ohanian’s adorable gesture.

The Reddit co-founder has always supported Venus Williams’ work, especially her second book. “A huge shoutout to my amazing sis Venus Williams. Her new book is out, I just got my copy, that’s right I bought my own. I will get it autographed by her though,” Ohanian wrote, urging his social media followers to order their copies. He also added the book’s Amazon link for purchase.

Serena had also shared a post supporting her sister on September 12. In an Instagram post, the former tennis player had uploaded a picture of Venus holding her book and wrote, “@venuswilliams book is OUT NOW! Anywhere books are sold. It’s a MUST READ! Xx”.

For the Williams family, Alexis has been a special member—not only because he married Venus’ younger sister Serena, but also due to his advocacy for women in sports, a cause the Williams sisters have championed for a long time. When Venus channeled her talent into modeling with a runway hit, Ohanian cheered for her then, too.

Alexis Ohanian wins hearts with his constant support for Venus Williams

Ohanian’s gestures for Venus Williams proved that he is a brother-in-law like no other. In 2022, when the WTA star appeared on Newsweek’s cover to celebrate Title IX’s 50th anniversary, her businessman brother-in-law had high praise for her. The American player graced the magazine’s cover and took a stand on social issues while sharing her experiences from her professional life.

In fact, when the elder Williams sister appeared on Vogue World’s Runaway last June 24, Ohanian couldn’t help but praise her glamorous look. “Y’all killed it,” he wrote on X expressing his admiration for the WTA star.

Alexis Ohanian’s constant support for Venus Williams highlights their amazing familial bond. Over the years, Ohanian has proven himself to be not only a great father and husband but also a caring brother-in-law who never fails to have his sister-in-law’s back.