“No marriage is perfect!” However, Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, may differ, as he is on a journey to achieve it. And to ensure a picture-perfect partnership, he has all the help from his legendary wife to fix his ‘blind spots,’ when it comes to racial understanding. The two have established an astounding legacy on their respective professional fronts. But they are going all in to ensure a smoother journey for the legacy that would carry on their will – their kids!

In a recent episode of Business Dad, Todd Carmichael highlighted the fact that they are on a journey towards justice, “This isn’t just black people. I think this is just, you know, across America, we have so many sorts of people, different sorts of cultures. And we haven’t got our arms around the idea that hey, man, we’re all Americans.”

Ohanian appreciates the beautiful way to put a bigger issue in a positive connotation. As he opens up on the need to create an environment to share various perspectives could bring the community closer. However, this would certainly require help from his wife, who has undergone a lot of issues during her career. And if there would be any discrepancy in his thought process, Williams’ would be the one to clear all of it. He said, “Because even I mean, I get like, my wife will be the first one to tell me if there’s some blind spots, something I do or say or think.” 

The ardent family man is open to discussion about every topic with his family. However, when he is improved upon by the 23-time grand slam champion on racial insights, he can’t help but be defensive about his narrative, as it was never supposed to be taken in an unwanted way. He said, “And it’s always that I mean, my initial reaction is always like, like, my initial reaction is like, I’m defensive, because I’m like, not at all.”

However, the process of accepting feedback from his loved ones on this sensitive issue also pinches him a bit. But as “pain is growth,” he feels bad for having certain perspectives that are not in the right direction. And this is what is needed, “As white people, I think we get so much better. And we can actually do your points aren’t having the harder conversations that actually help everyone get that better understanding.”

“What makes America great?” The history, diversity, opportunities, and multiple cultures collide, creating a place welcoming everyone. However, this also makes it a tad bit difficult to understand the outcome of the collision. And while Ohanian would do everything to make things happen for his family, when it comes to acceptance of the idea of America, Williams has been working on it even before she entered the professional tennis arena!

Serena Williams tennis journey coincided with climbing high walls

Williams joined tennis at the turn of the century when the idea of discrimination in the game was rampant. When tennis was dominated by white and subdued ensembles, Williams made noise with her quirky and colorful style. While many may have been silenced due to differences on the court, Williams took it head on as she derived energy from it.

Her retirement brought all the emotions to the forefront. As New Hampshire Bulletin quoted, “The idea that the Williams sisters succeeded because of their unique work ethic, raw talent and visionary father–a story of the American Dream generously extended to embrace a low-income Black family–conceals a darker notion [that] people of color who remain in disadvantaged circumstances are there due to their own fault.”

And now married to Ohanian, and having 2 kids, she is joined by her husband to make the transition as smooth as possible, while teaching him valuable marriage lessons as they fix some points together!